Joker's Playmate
by Jokerlady
Summary: During an encounter with the Joker to save kidnapped children, Batman falls prisoner of the Clown Prince only to discover a side of the Jester both intriguing, scary and sexy...SLASH!
1. Against The Ropes

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note**__: Hello. Well, I'm back with a new story, and this one is a little off my mainstream. I was talking to some friends and they tempted my muse to do something different, and they suggested to give a stab at some slash. Only problem is, I have to admit, I don't know much of the genre, so this is for me totally uncharted territory. For those that like this kind of literature, my apologies for this lame intent. I hope I'm at least able to entertain you. For the other readers, please bear with me and let me know if you like what I have in mind. The story is simple. Batman is trying to save some children from the Joker's hands when the Caped Crusader falls prey of the Clown Prince and then...well… you will have to read. Enjoy and please leave your feedback. Remember, I'm new at the genre so be kind._

_This chapter had a Beta once: Thanks, LADY EVIL_

_So without any delay..._

Disclaimer 1: Batman and related characters belong to DC COMICS.

Disclaimer 2: Some scene will contain MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS

**Chapter 1: Against the ropes**

Batman kicked the door with such force that it smashed against the wall over fifteen feet away, producing a shower of splinters and chipped paint. They did not make doors like they used to and there was nothing that was going to stop him of putting an end to the Joker's reign of terror. The Detective slipped cautiously into the old hotel, batarang at hand as he activated the communicator in his cowl.

"Robin, I'm in," the Dark Knight said in a very low voice. There was no sign of the Joker and there was no need to give the Clown a chance to pinpoint his location.

"Good. I'm still in the East entrance. Joker doubled the security in this end and they are heavily armed. I'll join you as soon as the police and I clear this end."

"Understood. Just be careful. Joker is not playing by his regular rules," Batman said as he was advancing through the building's lobby. The hotel's foyer was an immense open area from which he could see all the floors, arranged in concentric rings one on top of the other, each level slightly smaller than the one below.

"Rules? Who needs rules…?" said a voice from above…a very familiar one. The falsetto was unmistakable. Batman located the voice to the fourth floor where a tall, slim figure waved at him effusively. Batman recognized the green mane of hair and carved sardonic smile. "Rules are made for the masses, the flocks of sheep that cannot take a step forward without been told how to move their feet. But we are beyond that, eh Batsy?" Joker started to laugh frantically, loud high pitched guffaws that denoted a total loss of control.

"Joker, surrender now. The police are surrounding the building as we speak. There is no way for you to go."

"And when has that stopped me before?" The Clown flung back at the detective in a menacing voice while looking to the ceiling. "The way I see it, I can still go up and 'sides, I still have the children. So you want me? Come… and… get… me!" The Clown emphasized each syllable right before he busted into laughter again, more hysterical than before.

Batman held a growl. He hated to be reminded that the Clown still had the twelve children he had managed to kidnap along with their camp leader the day before.

"Joker, you wanted this to be a battle between you and me. Let the children go," said Batman while rushing to the elevators, crushing that sinking feeling that the Clown couldn't hear him over his own laughter. He still had to try.

"Joker!"

"You forgot to say please." Batman heard the Clown say in a voice that was getting away with each word. The Joker was on the move again. "And I wouldn't use the elevators if I was you. Empty shafts and who knows what kind of nasty things you can find in those places. EEEK!" The clown laughed loudly.

The Joker must have arranged the elevators…but if he did, why tell him? It made no sense. If Joker wanted to get rid of the Batman, why warn him about the rigged elevators? No time to get equipment out and analyze the elevator box. There was reason to risk being careless, but what if that was what Joker wanted, for him to skip the elevators? He had to risk it. Batman kicked the door to the stairs and paused for a moment. Empty. Batman started up the stairs in long strides that covered four steps at a time.

The Clown had an advantage that he needed to make minimal as soon as he could and the life of children depended on him. For the Clown, murder was nothing but a means to a joke. One mean joke that started yesterday afternoon when he usurped Camp Kiwanis and took the children hostage after reducing the whole place to ashes. It was not difficult to imagine what Joker could do to those twelve children. His joke needed a punch line and he had a dozen in his stage.

One, two, three, four flies of stairs the Detective coursed swiftly until Batman found a body of what seemed like a middle age female. On closer scrutiny he recognized the woman as Mary Ann Rosenthal. She was the leader of Camp Kiwani that Joker had attacked that morning and was one of the hostages taken along with the children and the only adult in the group. The Detective pressed a hand against her neck. No pulse. Upon closer inspection he noted the abnormally large smile on her face.

Joker Venom. That was the reason why the Joker wanted him to use the stairs…he wanted him to find the body and wanted to tell him that the children were now completely under his control.

"JOKER!" Batman yelled with all his strength to make sure the Clown heard him… "RELEASE THE CHILDREN, JOKER! FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, RELEASE…THE…CHILDREN!" There was a burst of laughter far away from upstairs. Joker must have gotten to higher ground. Batman took the next two flies of stairs and landed on the rest of the fifth floor. He looked around without seeing a single soul on the hall, but in front of him, one more floor above, the ever smiling Joker stood jovially resting his arms over the ledge.

"What is it, Bats? Losing interest? It took you a while going through the stairs, getting old chum. Found my gift?"

Batman tried to forget the reference to the dead Mrs. Rosenthal. "Joker, this is an impossible escape. Surrender," the vigilante said with a huff.

The Clown frowned. This was not as funny as he had pictured it. "Here we are again, Batsy, ordering people around. You'd like to be….the alpha bat." Joker started to laugh loudly and cocked his head sideways. "You want me to surrender…then make me!"

Batman realized that the Joker was up to something. He was forcing him to follow him but to where? He must be setting a trap. The Knight looked around making sure he was alone and now that he knew, he would not let himself fall in that trap. "Joker if you are man enough, why don't you come and meet me face to face, right here…Just you and me, like you've always wanted."

"Oooh, Bats. Have you not read the newspaper? They called me a monster and said that I should be euthanized like a rabid dog. Now, what kind of sick person would write something so…despicable, about me?" Joker ran a swift hand over his green mane. "Oh, that's right, that Vale girl. Isn't she your number one fan? I don't think she understands how difficult it is to be me. See, all that planning, revising, and doodling just so I can get a look at your smug mug can wear anyone out. I haven't got the legs to stop traffic so I stick to my strengths and be a clown. After all, my only crime is having fun, are you having fun yet?"

"Joker, don't believe what the press say. Her opinion is only one in a million. Prove the press how wrong they are by releasing the children unharmed." It sounded like a desperate plea, but Batman needed to make the Clown understand somehow that hurting the children was not worth the effort.

The Clown remained pensive for a moment. His ever smiling face was somber and kind of distant as he pondered on the Detective's word. "Do you really think that would make a difference? I mean, if I release the children… they will think differently of me?"

"Whatever you do in good faith, will help with your image. If you release the children, they will believe in you again."

The Clown nodded approvingly. "Okey Dokey. You heard the man, Punch release the children. One at a time."

Batman saw Joker's permanent grin widen and knew immediately this was not a good sign. From two floors above Batman saw Punch, one of the Clown's loyal thugs was carrying a protesting child, not older than eight, on his arms. He carried the youngster over the rail and held him dangling in mid air by his shirt. The kid started to cry, his face contorted into a look of terror which only made the Joker's smile widen even more.

"JOKER, NO!"

"No what?" Joker responded and obviously annoyed. "Didn't you want me to release the children? Make up your mind, Bats!"

"Not like this."

"And why not..? It's much more fun this way!" Joker started to laugh hysterically. "Come on, Punch. Release him. NOW!"

The large man let the child go, there was not enough time to react. A fall from a seventh floor for a kid that young would mean certain death. With reflexes like lighting, the Detective retrieved his bat-grappler and fired. The line secured and Batman jumped over the rail and swung his line towards the boy. He will only have one chance and he would make it count. In the middle of his swing he extended a hand, forced a stretch and wrapped an arm around the boy's torso and pressed hard against him. He let the grappler line go to try to land somewhere. The Detective turned during the landing and touched down on the floor of the sixth floor, rolling on his back while holding tightly to the kid for a few times until he came to a stop by one of the doors of the hall.

He heard someone laugh and applaud. He knew immediately who was enjoying this show. Batman tried to stand, but the right side of his body was aching from the fall. He concentrated on the task at hand and with great mental effort forced himself to kneel on the floor and help the youngster to his feet.

"You ok?" Batman asked the kid almost to a whisper. The kid nodded silently while the mirth and the clapping came closer.

"Now that was a moving act of heroism, Batsy, you want me to release the next one now?"

"These are kids, not pieces of meat you can discard whenever you want," Batman growled at the grinning gargoyle in front of him.

"Oh, I know they are kids, but I'm the Joker and I do things a little differently. You, on the other hand you are the Batman that would do anything to make sure the kids are safe, even sacrifice himself and in a moment you're going to be going Nighty Night because you are a very tired bat."

Batman pulled on the kid to him and held to him tightly when he noticed the small body go limp in his hand. What was this clown doing? He searched the kid and found two small gas tanks hidden high on the child's jacket. He quickly went for his utility belt to retrieve the oxygen mask and started to work on removing the jacket off the boy but he felt himself go in slow motion. He felt his hand were twice as big and four times as heavy and the world around him started to spin uncontrollably which forced him in all fours..

"What..?" The Dark Knight started to say when words started to escape his mouth, then the ideas started to escape his brain and nothing made sense: the world around him started to take very distorted, menacing shapes. Shadows leaped to life and dance to a macabre rhythm, human figures turned flat and paper thin, like caricatures in a newspaper. What was real and what was unreal, merged in an image of nonsense from which Bruce could not elucidate the truth. In front of him, the clown's slim, figure, started to elongate to gargantuan proportions and the Batman would have sworn that fangs had started to appear on the Jester' mouth.

"Are you wondering what's happening to your brain as we speak?" Joker said smiling smugly as he slowly came closer to the black crawling figure of the Dark Knight on the floor. "Well you're breathing a little new sleeping gas I have been experimenting on. It's a derivative of one of Crane's fear formulas. How could I pass the temptation of making people fall asleep while they watch their worst nightmares come to life? In preparation for the greatest show on earth, no odor, no color, no taste, and from the way you are reacting, I could swear your greatest fear is losing control, isn't it Batsy?" The clown Prince of Crime started to laugh maniacally while he joined both hands under his chin. In the floor Batman had started to do his best to advance on the floor but the only thing he was accomplishing was crawling on the floor like a worm. "Come on, Bats…give into your worst nightmare so you can be reborn and enjoy the greatest show I have in store for you. Come on, sweetheart. Crawl like the parasite you are…you…my little mammalian vermin…"

"Joker…" Batman fought the gas as long as he could, but finally succumbed to the full effect and he laid on the floor unmoving, his breathing very slightly. Joker smiled and behind him Punch came carrying with him some rope and chains. The Clown Prince loved to play games he could win and so far winning this one had filled him with tremendous glee. He had outsmarted the greatest Detective in the world…and now he was all his to play with.

"What you want me to do with the bat, boss? Punch asked stopping by the beaming Joker.

"Tie him up really tight and take him to the basement. We are going to take one of those little exits we so much love to take before any pigs spoil the fun?"

"What about the kid..?"

Joker pulled out his gun and aimed the barrel to the small sleeping figure on the floor… "What kid?" The Clown Prince of Crime smile wide and even started giggling. "I don't see a kid, do you?"

"Boss?"

BANG! The barrel fired and a yellow flag with the words **YOU'RE DEAD** in bright red letters popped from it. Joker started laughing hysterically, the gun shaking on his hand as he waved the flag. Punch took a long, deep sigh. "We can leave the kid for Gordy and the troop as a reward. We have a party to attend. Let's go."


	2. Revelations

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note:** It is funny that what started as a kind of dare has turned into a story. This is how Joker's Playmate started and I can't shake my surprise for the acceptance it has received. Like I said before...this is a brand new genre for me. I never imagined it would be this much fun at the same time it is a lot of work. More than usual. Thanks to all you those that have left review...it is encouraging to hear from you, and all criticism is welcome...I want to grow to be a better writer. Those that have the story in their alerts...it's an honor. Hope I can continue to deliver an entertaining story for you all!_

_This Chapter once had a beta: Thanks LADY EVIL_

Disclaimer 1: Batman and all related characters belong to DC COMICS

Disclaimer 2: Some scenes WILL contain MATURE THEMES and SITUATIONS. Reader discretion adviced.

Reviews: Always welcomed.

**CHAPTER 2: REVELATIONS **

Voices.

Tens of hundreds of high pitched voices, some laughing, some giggling. The whispers were all coming from the darkness around him; a darkness that was starting to dissipate very slowly. Among the voices, he recognized one, in a high pitch that every once in a while exploded in a shrilling laughter. He remembered that trademark tone all too well.

"Whoa, starting to come up to your senses, Batsy? Come on Sleeping Beauty, wake up from your slumber…" The voice said, coming closer to him. The darkness had lightened up to become a thick gray mist that still clouded his sight but the hearing was crystal clear.

"What… did you do to me…Joker?"

"Nothing that a brave hero would not have done by himself after a long day saving lives. Put you to bed, darling…in your own ...cozy…chair." Joker purred softly. It made the Batman's insides twist at how he sounded so soft. It was only a facade for whatever devious scheme he had planned. "Sorry for the accommodations, old chum, but going out for furniture has becomes a luxury when you are going to be shot on sight, you know?"

The mist had cleared up some more and the Dark Detective could see the tall, purple-suited figure of the Joker towering over a group of kids on the far end of the room. Those were the same kids Joker kidnapped from the camp and they were now overlooked by some of the Joker's men. Some of the children were playing with Joker cards others while others had what looked like plush versions of the Clown Prince. Some of the children were even laughing.

"The kids…" Batman said, noticing that he was sitting on a chair, with both hands held in chains that went down to the floor and after passing through loopholes, went to attach high in the ceiling. His utility belt was gone and that was not the only thing missing. The top layer of his armored uniform had been peeled away and laid a few feet away on the floor.

"Yes, the kids are here. They are here to watch you do what you hate most…lose control…and a charming audience they are!" Joker said as he smiled lovingly at the batch. "They have been laughing at my jokes all morning. More than what you ever do for me because they recognize talent at this tender age," the Prince said proudly.

"Gordon, will arrive anytime and take care of you…"

"Oh, but he arrived in time already, Bats. Only problem was I wasn't anywhere to be found and neither were you. We had to make a hurried exit from the hotel. Last night." Joker moved closer to the Knight who stood up to meet his approach. "Ah, I like it: you rise to meet your master."

The Clown ran a thin bony finger along the Knight's jaw outline.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands, Clown!" the Batman roared slapping the Joker's hand away from his face.

"And who is gonna prevent that from happening? Because last time I checked you are all by your lonesome, chained, and not carrying any toys with you." The Clown ran a silky white hand over the open area of the armor. The Knight could feel the hand rubbing against his firm, muscled chest through the thin layer of the suit left. The skin tingled underneath, reacting to the soft caress but that made him feel dirty… contaminated. He tried to slam a fist on that grinning face, but the chains prevented him from making contact. The Bat's fist swung mere centimeters from the Jester's face.

"Now, now now, we can't have this kind of behavior in front of the kids…violence has never been a good model for the young generation… PUNCH!" The Clown said with a wide grin on his face. There was a metallic noise from the end of the room and the chains in the Knight's hands pulled him forcefully down, making him kneel on the wooded floor of the room. "That is more like it," The clown turned to the kids. "Now children, this is what your parents mean when they ask you to obey. This is what daddy ask mommy to do when...-!"

"JOKER! What you think you're doing? They are only children…" The Batman pleaded.

The clown turned around and connected a kick to the Detective's face which forced him to land face down on the floor.

"And you think they have not seen this on their TV yet…oh my naïve Knight! Kids these days are smarter than you think. Now just shut your mouth and listen to the clown that is setting the rules of this game here." Joker leaned in and pressed a lean jaw line which barely graced the hook of the Batman's nose. He could smell a sweet cologne from the purple suit. "You're my pet bat now, a new toy for me to play with. Oh, and play with you I will." Joker grinned like the Cheshire cat, his teasing insinuations getting the better of his controlled nature.

"You are crazy," Batman said trying his best to get back up without success. The only thing he could do was to kneel on the floor with his hands chained against the loopholes.

"Finally! You grasp the concept!" Joker squealed as he paced around the prisoner with wide outstretched arms.

"I know that! My psychiatrist knows that, Gordon, Dumbwing and Boy Blunder know that…Vicky Vale knows that… even your cat-lady friend knows that! What took you so long to figure it out?"

"I don't know what type of game you are playing but you better don't hurt the children or I'm going to make you pay dearly." Joker kicked the Batman again and once the Dark Knight hit the floor, he stomped the falling hero on the abdomen, pinning him firmly against the wood.

"That was not the question I asked, Bats. So limit yourself to answer my questions. Now that you ask about the games I play, I'm gonna let you into a little secret. You know all those years that we have been waltzing together? Me, trying to make this gloomy city to laugh and you trying to stop me from such a holy task? I have developed a liking for you…" The Caliph of Clowns said in a soft voice that ensnared a firm grip at the other man's senses.

"That's why you want to have me killed?" The Batman spat out with some effort.

"Killed? If I indeed wanted you killed, honey buns, I would be having this amicable conversation with a cadaver because you would have been dead a long time ago. Instead I have developed an admiration for what you do, for what you are. I still don't like what you represent though. That outdated concept of self-righteousness, logic and order that seems to rule your entire existence, but you are a very especial man." Joker let go of the Knight and walked a few paces away. The children behind him were watching the Clown's every move very attentively and the Clown appreciated the attention with a respectful bow to the audience.

"Where are you trying to get to, Joker?"

The Clown giggled maliciously. "You have survived every kind of joke I have sent your way, have overthrown every single plan I have come forth with and even when temptation was there to finish me once and for all, you always returned me to that forsaken asylum to spend some time off. You're so considerate and so brilliant, I would even say that you are as intelligent as me and but that, of course, is an impossibility. You get the point, right?"

"No, "Batman answered trying to sound very secure, but the truth was that he had a clear hint of where this conversation was heading for, and he didn't like it, especially in front of children.

"No? Then you are more naïve than what I thought. You had plenty of opportunities to pull the plug on me to put an end to my….I have to admit…miserable existence and rid this city of this plague they call the Clown Prince of Crime…and you still have not. Why?" Joker clasped his hands together as if ready to taste the finest meal in a fancy restaurant. The next moments hung in the balance for him as he waited for the Bat's reaction.

"I believe in justice, not murder. I will not murder… not even you."

"But killing me you would not be murder—and I'm quoting Gordon here—it would be doing this city the greatest service in history…like Michael killing the Dragon. And I thought I could make you do it because I know you, like me, have this incredible potential for murderous chaos. I can feel it deep inside you," the Jester pressed a cold finger against the Knight's chest. "The rage, trying to take over so I have tried harder and harder to push you over the edge, just to see if you had what it took to finish a job. And I know you are almost there, and hence, closer to me than you've ever been," Joker raised a thin eyebrow in acrude teasing manner. He plaved a thin hand over his bony hip while anticipating the Batman's next move. The other man was at a loss for control at the moment but he had done this dance for far to long that he had settled for a routine step in this tired old dance. "My hero."

"I will never… murder."

"Really? Never say never, darling, because if I can bring you out of that dark cold cave you call home every single time I tour in this city, just imagine what else I can make you do." Joker eyes his fallen Bat deliciously. It was like a vulture waiting for its meal to take its final breath. "Batsy. I think I'm starting to grow out on you…admit it. You love me, and you can't live without me."

"Joker, you need to change your medication. You're delusional"

The Jester pursed his lips and frowned disgustingly; a white hand brushed swiftly over his dark green mane. "But you still send me to that unhappy place called Arkham, knowingly that I will find a way to come back to you once more, with an even crazier plan than the one before…and why?" Joker knelt in front of the Dark detective and ran a hand over his prisoner's cheek. The Batman tried to pull away from the caress only to find the Joker's face coming closer to him. "Because you can't get rid of me…" The Clown stopped by the Detective's ear and whispered, his voice resonating softly in his lobe. "…you don't want to get rid of me. You want me around you taunting you, challenging you every waking moment of your life because you can't be Batman… without the Joker. You can't be you, without me."

"Something smells burning, Joker and I think is your brain. Something must've fused your circuitry in there because you're hallucinating…"

Joker slapped Batman forcefully, blood started to trickle down his chin.

"You're not supposed to have a sense of humor and I'm not going to tolerate this insolence, not in front of the kids. They are my audience and you are not going to spoil them for me. Remember who's the Joker here. Only I make jokes, clear?" Batman looked at the Jester of Hate silently, the small pits behind the cowl burning with the fires of hell. Hatred shot like daggers from the Detective's blue orbs. "This is more like it, I knew you would see my point."

"The only point I see is that you have completely lost it…" Joker slapped Batman again and frowned angrily. "…and if you hit me once more, Joker, I'm going to make you fall in a world of pain."

"Brave words from the man chained to the floor," Joker said smiling wide with complacence. "And you are insulting me, I am trying to show you my admiration for you…my affection, my …my…veneration."

"Unbelievable." Batman muttered under his breath.

"But you feel the same way for me, don't you? That's why you have not killed me. That's why you preserve me, so you can have me always there for you. You and I…are…" Joker brushed a hand against the Batman's cheek, but the Detective pushed away from the soft touch. "… meant for each other, don't you understand?"

"In your dreams…"

Joker came closer to him, his lips approaching the vicinity of the Bat's, but the Detective lowered his head during the approach and in one swift and unexpected movement, he slammed his head against the Clown's face. The Clown was hit full force and the power of the blow made him fall a few feet back on the floor. He felt something warm running down his upper lip and chin and he ran a hand down his face to discover that he was bleeding from his nose, and the blow had busted his lower lip too.

Joker looked at his bloody hand for a moment and then produced a large smile on his face that seemed like an open wound on his white pasty face. The smile upgraded to giggles, childish short giggles that escalated in crescendo to a sidesplitting laughter.

"Oh Bats, Bats, Bats. You are just too stiff, too straight, but I have a way of showing you my love, and once you and I are done playing you will be seeing things in a very different way because deep inside there in that cold, righteous heart of yours, you hold a special place for your favorite psychopath."

Joker rose and addressed the kids. "Now children, Uncle Joker is going to show you how to soften up a Bat, you wanna watch?" All the children screamed approvingly at unison as if they have being taught to behave in this way and Batman watched in horror as the Clown Prince of Crime had seduced these innocent creatures into agreeing with his demands. How did the monster gain control of these minds? With intolerable dread, he heard the answer to his question from the Jester's own mouth. "Ok, Ok. But first, who wants some ice cream?"

The children screamed with joy altogether as Joker extended his arms to embrace some of the kids. He turned around and looked at the bound figure still kneeling on the floor. His large smile had turned into a wide toothy grin. The Jester was showing off his power over the children, and he enjoyed looking like he was in charge. The Clown Prince gestured silently to Punch in the far shadows of the room and he came forward with a small gas tank in his hand and a gas mask secured on his face. The Batman knew what was on the tank and he knew what was happened again.

"You are a coward Joker, hiding behind children," the Detective said as Punch sprayed him with the gas. He held his breath, but this was beyond human endurance. He could not hold his breath for ever and when he was forced to replenish his lungs of precious oxygen he started to feel the first familiar effect of the new Joker gas.

"No, I'm not a coward. I'm a Clown and as you can see, they love this clown, which makes me—in a way- the alpha Clown. While you take a nap, my little friends and I are gonna have some cookies and ice cream and when I return, we will play some more, okay, Batsy?" The clown saw as the Batman started to squirm on the floor trying to fight the gas and filled with joy he started to sing_…"Sweet Dreams are made of this…whoever mind, to disagree…"_


	3. Devastating News

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note:** It is funny that what started as a kind of dare has turned into a story. This is how Joker's Playmate started and I can't shake my surprise for the acceptance it has received. Like I said before...this is a brand new genre for me. I never imagined it would be this much fun at the same time it is a lot of work. More than usual. Thanks to all you those that have left review...it is encouraging to hear from you, and all criticism is welcome...I want to grow to be a better writer. Those that have the story in their alerts...it's an honor. Hope I can continue to deliver an entertaining story for you all!_

_This Chapter had a beta once: Thanks LADY EVIL_

Disclaimer 1: Batman and all related characters belong to DC COMICS

Disclaimer 2: Some scenes WILL contain MATURE THEMES and SITUATIONS. Reader discretion adviced.

Reviews: Always welcomed.

**CHAPTER 3: Devastating news**

Commissioner Gordon took a drag of his pipe while looking over the report from the raid at the Castle hotel construction site. It was the second time he had the rundown in the hopes that he could find an answer to the multitude of questions in his head. Alongside him was Robin, the Boy wonder sitting on the back of the large chair by the window overlooking the city streets and glum lights of Gotham City. Detective Renee Montoya stood in attention in front of the Gordon's desk waiting for a reaction to the report.

"I still do not understand how we could have lost Joker last night, Montoya." Gordon finally said, letting some smoke escape by the side of his mouth. "Your men had the construction site surrounded, and over two dozen men raided the hotel just to find it empty? How do you explain that?"

"I…don't have an explanation for that, Commissioner. The reports said that the Joker WAS in the hotel but there was no way anybody could have had escaped the tight ring around the building. Maybe Joker had abandoned the place before we got there."

"The Joker WAS there, detective," spat Robin down annoyed at the insinuation that he and Batman had given false information. "We had followed the Clown and some of his men since yesterday in Camp Kawani, and the trace ended right in that construction site."

"But did you see him?" Gordon asked.

"I didn't…but Batman did. That's the reason he got into the Hotel, he saw the Joker enter the building."

"But the building was empty," said Montoya trying to justify her point.

"And the army of Joker's men that kept you at bay for forty five minutes?" Gordon inquired in an effort to stop a confrontation between Montoya and the Boy Wonder.

"Not exactly Joker's, Commissioner. They were paid five thousand dollars each to use anything at hand to keep us away with the promise of ten times more. They could not name their employer since the money was just…wired to them with exact instructions."

"How convenient." Robin muttered from his seat. Montoya frowned.

"How many were they, Detective?"

The detective opened her mouth but did not utter a sound.

"Only four," Robin contributed to the discussion. "Very well equipped, and loaded with enough ammo and explosives for an army." Gordon massaged his moustache absentmindedly while looking at the two people in front of him. This discussion was getting nowhere.

"Only four people," The commissioner repeated while closing the report. Montoya glared at the young crime fighter. The least she needed now was to have her division looking like idiots.

"And Batman disappeared, without a trace after he entered." Robin was fuming now. "That's why you found your building empty."

"But that doesn't mean…" Montoya started.

"ENOUGH!" Gordon commanded from his desk. Both Montoya and the Boy Wonder looked in attention to the middle aged Commisioner. "That was last night. Joker has the upper hand with twelve innocent children with him and the possibility that he had something to do with Batman's disappearance. We need to move forward." Everybody remained in silence and attention. "Robin, is there a way of tracking Batman? Maybe his utility belt, or some sort of tracking device?"

"We tried sir, but I have not been able to track any signal yet and that's what worries me. Not even a bleep in since last night." Robin said despondently. Having lost his mentor at the hands of a maniac was not something he was not ready to deal with. If Batman was indeed the Joker's prisoner, what type of horrors could he be enduring at the hands of that Clown?

"Did forensics find out how he could have escaped the hotel? Escaping while dragging twelve children and the Batman is not exactly an easy task."

"None Commissioner." Montoya said sadly, "If they were there they could only have gone in a puff of smoke, because we had them surrounded."

"Renee, I want the architectural and engineering diagrams of that building. I want to find out basement plans, secret passages, anything through were the Joker and his gang was able to leave the building. Joker has a slight advantage and I plan on switching the board on that clown." Detective Montoya nodded at the Commissioner's instructions and left the office hastily. Gordon rose from his chair and walked over to Robin who was still sitting on the back rest of the chair and looking absentmindedly out the window. "Son, I know how you feel. We are going to find him."

"I know…it's just that it bothers me to think he might be in the Joker's claws."

"Maybe he isn't." The Commissioner put a reassuring hand over the young ward's shoulder. Robin looked at him with a confused look on his face. "Joker killed the adult in charge of the troop; maybe Batman is just following the maniac to make sure the children are fine."

"He would have let me know…" Robin said somberly.

"Maybe he even allowed himself to be captured so he could be close to the children. Batman is a hero, son, and he knows how to take care of himself." Robin nodded and showed a small hint of a smile. "Go on, go and use the equipment in your cave to track him down, and update me with anything, OK?"

"Will do Commissioner," Robin said leaping off the chair and heading out the office. "And thanks. I know how much it means to you …he's your friend too."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o

Batman had finally woken up, but still felt like he was floating on a cloud. The world around him seemed so unreal, so distant, that for the Crusader focusing on anything was a lost cause at the moment. When he opened his eyes again after the Joker gassed him again with Crane's formula, he had been moved to a darker room and the chains that before held him to the floor now were pulling his arms towards each side. He was forced to stand and he couldn't feel a wall behind him. The Knight turned his head back and saw the wall, probably five feet behind him, some metal rings where attached to the wall, old and rusted. He tried moved his legs around he noticed that there were chains attached to his ankles that will not allow him to do much, less gaining momentum to attack somebody. The armor of his costume was completely peeled off, leaving only the thin undercoat fabric that fit him tightly over the chest and abdomen.

He was tired. He had lost track of time because of the long unconscious episodes but he had estimated that he had to have been captive now for: twenty four or thirty six hours tops. Nobody had offered him water or food, and the deprivation was probably a factor to account for his current disoriented state. Robin must have started to look for him, but Joker had his utility belt disappear, and must have destroy any circuitry of the tracking device on his armor while he peeled it off. His only salvation might be to try and open a channel through the communicator in his cowl, but right now that was going to be a very difficult task.

Batman heard voices coming from outside the room and soon enough the Joker entered followed by the troop of Kiwanis giggling and fooling around. The Clown signaled his henchmen to organize the kids and keep them safe at the farthest end of the room. From there, they still had full view of the bound superhero at the same time Joker will have a lot of space for himself. The Jester walked closer to the Batman, who noted the harlequin had something in his mouth…

"Hi there Batsy, you wanna lick my lollipop?"Joker said nonchalantly while taking the confection out of his mouth. He giggled maliciously at the Detective. "It's hard and kind of wet now, you'll like it. I promise."

Batman remained silent, his eyes fixed on the figure of the Jester. He hated the pretentions of this clown to twist anything that was good and innocent into something evil and depraved. Joker shook the candy stick on his hand closer to the Detective obtaining just a repulsive look from the hero.

"I'll pass." Batman said under his breath.

"OK, whatever. I even brought one for you…cherry flavored. The kids insisted." The Clown said with a wild smile as he produced a lolly from his pocket. "Delicious. It's seems I'll end up licking YOUR lollipop in a little while," he said with a devilish grin. "Oh I almost forgot! Thought you might be hungry so I brought you something." Joker put a hand on his right pocket and pulled a handful of nuts. Cashews, walnuts, and pecans started sifting through his gloved hand. "You want a nut?"

"You think this is funny, don't you?" The Detective protested.

"You don't want my nuts either?" Joker squealed taking offense on the open refusal of the food. The Clown tossed the nuts angrily over his shoulder making a mess behind him. "I really thought you will be craving my nuts by now…oh, well…you are going to be harder to break than I thought, but you're dealing with a bigger, tougher nut now." Joker cackled dangerously.

"What are you going to do with the kids, Joker?"

"Whatever you want me to do with them," the Clown answered with a wide smile as he pranced happily behind the detective, his white hands making contact with the vigilante's shoulders and pectorals. The feeling of hands massaging his body even through the fabric, sent tingles to the base of his brain, but the Batman brushed the thought away, feeling like this was wrong. The Clown kept talking. "I can gas them, or shoot them, of hang them all from a tree, boil their little bodies until the meat falls off their bones! Whatever you want, handsome." Joker smiled sweetly.

"Why don't you just let them go? They don't have to see…this." Batman replied, sounding almost desperate. The Joker caught this. A blooming interest rose within the Harlequin of Hate.

"What? You afraid they will see your secret, 'tender' side?" The white skinned man started to caress the lower back, and the abdominal muscles, his hand slowly sliding further down to more sensitive areas.

"Joker…what you're doing is sick." Batman spat out, the delicate fingers felt like hot stings against his skin.

"If being in love is sick, Batsy call an ambulance, because I am in critical condition. You don't seem to understand how I feel for you. How much I yearn to have you by my side, having you hold me in your strong, powerful arms…" The Clown, still behind the darkly costumed figure, brushed his face affectionately against the powerful arms and threw his arms tenderly around him in an embrace. The Dark Knight's tolerance horribly tested at a crescendo.

"Get away from me, you piece of…!" The Detective shook in his restrains loosening the Jester's grip. Joker dropped his hands down angrily, frustration war burning in his forest green eyes as he turned around the Dark Knight to face him eye to eye.

"Piece of what? Come on…say it." The Jester said close to Batman's face and his voice on top of his lungs. "Filth…depraved filth…queer? Is that what you want to call me? Is that what I am to you?"

Batman looked over the Joker's shoulder towards the kids, now looking at them with wide curious eyes. He said calmly: "Your children are watching…"

"My child-!" Joker choked on his voice. "I'm talking about you…and me. Is that what I am to you?"

"I insist that there is something fused in your brain. You're imagining feelings that don't exist."

"Oh I wouldn't bet on that. I know what I feel. I have not felt like this in ages for anyone before. Well, maybe for one other person, but she's dead now so I don't think that counts." Joker let out a low sinister cackle and came really close to the Detective running his hands tenderly over his chest, spreading the fabric against his solid musculature. "But you…you're just too stiff…loosen up, Bats…let me show you where those nonexistent feelings are hidden, because I can feel them, pounding on your chest,asking for release. You're one…lonely…bat, my friend…but you don't have to be that lonely." Joker whispered hotly. It became more and more difficult for the Bat to breathe because the sweat on his forehead made the cowl sticky with heat.

Batman felt the long bony fingers against the soft fabric over his chest, running down like claws, scraping the skin underneath, feeling the thick muscle underneath. Those same fingers found his nipples, put pressure on them and then released. The crusader felt a chill down his spine. I was a strange yet remotely familiar feeling…how could this man…this crazy clown make him feel like this …feel this…this good? The hands continued down his abdominal muscles, teasing, tickling and the nerve endings were waking up asking for more.

The Detective felt the Clown hands' go up again to his chest, now starting to delineate the muscles as they inserted in his arms. Joker pulled himself closer to the chained hero. Batman could hear the Clown's breathing by his face, those ruby lips millimeters from his…so inviting, so tempting. The hands have now moved to the back, moving along the trapezius, and along his lower arm. The clown's nails playing through the thin fabric, touching, releasing, like raindrops…never falling in the same place twice, but running down his back turning on sensations like he had not felt in a long time. How could he be feeling this way now when there was so much at stake?

Batman shuddered and felt something between his legs. He turned to the Clown how sported a malicious smile on his face, and giggled childishly as if this was a game. Batman looked down and saw the Jester's right thigh against his groin, pressing hard on his manhood, rubbing his nether regions slowly and tenderly with his leg. The Jester pushed his leg farther up, and Batman couldn't help to gasp. What was happening to him? How could he be losing control so easily? It had to be the lack of food and water. Could that had weakened his mind? He had to find a way to control his body, his physical self obeyed his mind and his brain knew these feelings were wrong, but why did he want these feelings to continue when he really wanted them to stop?

"Joker…"

"Shh, lover boy…" Joker whispered by the Batman's ear. "Don't spoil the moment...you'll like this. It's the best part."

"The children…" Batman started when he felt Joker's lips brush against his and the Clown's knee resumed his work on his groin, this time with more pressure...and a faster rhythm.

"The children are enjoying this too, Batsy, haven't you notice how quiet they've become?" The Clown chuckled before pulling suddenly away and starting to laugh. The Detective just looked at the Clown, not understanding the sudden change in the Jester's mood. "Sorry, Bats. For a moment there almost ate all the candy at once, gotta leave some for later you know? Ooh…what a rush!" The Clown laughed loudly. "Now tell me how did that feel, good for someone who doesn't feel a thing, huh?" Joker smiled deliciously.

"You're disgusting, Joker."

"I beg to differ." The Jester said turning to face his young audience. "Do you think I'm disgusting, kids? Come on, be sincere." One little girl lifted her hand high and the Clown walked over to her. "Yes. Becky, right?"

"My mommy say that you are a bad man Mr. Joker."

"Really?" The Jester responded with a slight frown as he combed his wild green mane of hair with a pale hand. "Did your mommy say why, Becky?"

"You make people hurt." The little girl replied as she played with her pigtail nervously.

"You mean to say because I hurt people." Becky nodded. "Well your mommy is mistaken, darling. I don't hurt people. I try to brighten their day, make them laugh. That is my mission in this world: Bringing joy to the masses, especially to this man-beast. If people decide to die while I make them laugh, well, honey, that's not my fault." Another hand lifted high on the back. "Yes….and you are-."

"Mike."

"What is it, Mike?" The Clown answered back almost paternally.

"My dad says you are not funny."

Punch coughed violently and Joker laughed loudly while giving his muscle man a look that could pierce through lead. "Mike, sorry to tell you this but your father is a nincompoop. He doesn't know what funny is. You were laughing at my jokes yesterday. You thought I was funny, didn't you?"

"Y-yes." Mike responded shyly.

"I rest my case then." The Jester started to giggle. "And if you want, I will be delighted to meet your dad and show him how funny I really am. Just tell Punch over there where you live…" Joker's last words sounded more like a growl.

"Mr. Joker," Mike said timidly raising his hand again. The Jester acknowledged the boy. "What's a ninco…poo."

"Nincompoop. What do I look like, boy? A walking Merriam-Webster? PUNCH, hand Mike here a dictionary, would you?" The Joker said angrily as he started to move around the children. "But the original question was if I was a disgusting person? The Batman here says that I am disgusting…can I see by a show of hands how many of you think I'm disgusting?"

No kid lifted his hand. Joker smiled and looked at the Dark Detective who was just staring back at the Clown. Joker shrugged. "And I have done nothing but be myself, and they have been watching how we are interacting…you and me." The Jester said busting into laughter. "See how these kids can see beyond appearances and see the Clown for what he is?"

"They have not seen you kill anyone yet, have they?" Batman said.

"No need to see that, they are too young and tender." The Clown started to walk up to the bound Detective with hands firmly clasped behind his back.

"Did you tell them what you did to Mrs. Rosenthal?"

"Small omission. Where is the harm in that?" Joker shrugged.

"You want them to accept you for what you are…why you don't tell them what you did to her?" The Knight said darkly.

"I don't want their acceptance. I actually don't need them, but having them around makes this…a lot more fun, don't you think?"

"You're a liar, Joker. You say only what suits you best, and whatever you say, has probably been adulterated in that sick, perverted, insane mind of yours. Nothing you say is ever true."

"I. am. not. A. LIAR!" Joker said slapping Batman forcefully as he emphasized each syllable with a tone.

"You're lying even right now." Batman saw Joker frown, and that was something he did not see often. It was scary. "I dare you…tell them the truth."

Joker's face softened and he started to giggle. "And what do I get if I do…a kiss?"

"You can't do it. You've never been capable of saying the truth."

"Is that a dare?"

"It's an undeniable fact." Batman snapped back.

"OK, I accept the dare, but understand this. You could not see the truth even if it nipped you on the butt, because your vision is biased by your misplaced sense of righteousness. For you, the world is black and white, while ignoring all the shades of grey in between…now tell me I am wrong. "

"Facts Joker, you are either good or evil...sane or crazy. A witness to truth or a pathological liar. There are no intermediate states."

"Really? Then you're blinder than a bat and there is no worst blind than those that refuse to see." Joker said jovially walking towards the group of kids who quickly gathered around the Clown. "Hey guys, I got news for you and I'm afraid they are not good. You remember Mrs. Rosenthal, right?" All the kids nodded. Joker forced his smiling face into a sad grin without much success. "Well Mrs. Rosenthal is not coming back any more, she's kind of…I don't know how to say this…dead."

"Dead…"the small brunette girl with the pink glasses said. The other children mumbled something. All sounded disconcerted and some even started to sob.

"Yes, dead as a doorknob, I'm afraid. But she died happily. Actually, she died laughing." Joker placed a thin finger below his chin as if he was thinking hard.

"How do you know, Mr. Joker?" A slim black eight-year old asked from the back of the group.

"Because I killed her." Joker said prideful, like he had gotten the right answer for science.

All the children remained silent and looking attentively at the Clown with the sinister smile that all of a sudden had widened up to split his face like a wound.

"But…why, Mr. Joker?" Becky pleaded very sad. Her eyes sparkled as they started to fill with tears.

"Oh, darling, don't put that face. Things happen, you know?" The Clown extended an embrace around Becky trying to comfort her. "You'll see, she stopped seeing the joke, didn't want to play along with me…and if you don't play with me…well…you don't play at all."

Becky pushed Joker away angrily; her little brown sparkly eyes narrowed with resentment. "My mommy was right…you are a bad man…" she said while she scrubbed her tears.

"Becky," Joker said softly as he knelt down beside her, "Mrs. Rosenthal was too old…too feeble. There was no way she will be able to keep up with us. We are young, full of energy…we want to have fun, and besides, it's not like I shot her or anything, she just laughed her head off until she stopped breathing." The Clown brushed a white hand over his chest and wiped a tear from his right eye. "That's what happened. Honest to God."

A short stubby kid came forward timidly. His eyes distorted behind the thick glasses. "People don't die laughing."

"Yes they do. What's your name kid?" The Jester responded frowning.

"P-p-paul."

"Well, P-p-paul, people can die laughing. That's why people die around me all the time. I make them laugh so hard, that they can't take it and KA-PLUNK!" Joker gestured with his hand upside-down and made a raspberry. "They drop dead."

"Why make them laugh if you know they will die?" Mike questioned.

"Because that's what they want…they want to die happy."

"But I don't want to die…"

"I know P-p-paul." Joker chuckled. "That's why I reserve my special laughter for only the right occasions. It is not something you can do all the time, you know, very dangerous this gift of mine is. What you think I am…a deranged psychopath who likes killing people? I told you. I'm a comedian. I deal with humor. I deliver humor."

"B-but…"

"Well the Q&A session is over," Joker chirped, lifting both hands to the air, forcing a loud cackle and walking towards the large henchman by the door. "Punch! Take the kiddies to the game room, please."

"Game room?" The thug asked with a confused look on his face.

"Do you have a game room, Mr. Joker?" Few of the kids asked.

"Yes, though I have to admit, it's more of a video game room, with all the computer screens, electronic equipment, and stuff," Joker smiled while looking at Punch with great intensity and the henchman nodded. "That's where my friend Punch is gonna be taking you now so you guys can have some fun while I tend to a few grownup things. Does that sound like a lot of fun or what?"

All the kids agreed at unison with expressions of joy, some of them dancing around the Clown Prince. Punch did his best with the help of other two thugs to guide the kids out of the room. Joker in the meantime walked defiantly towards the bound Detective with a large toothy smile, and once within reach, made his white hand walk over the Batman's arm, defiantly.

"You are deranged." The Knight said simply.

"No, I'm crazy. But I said the truth didn't I?" Joker counteracted, closing their distance.

"Your twisted version of the truth. That is the same as lying."

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the truth is not what you say but what you want to hear." The Jester giggled childishly while he ran a long white hand through his hair, the curls in his green mane springing back happily. "Still, I told them I killed the hag and got away with it because I meant every word I said to those kids. Children know when you are saying the truth, you know?"

"You really think you are doing comedy when you kill people?" The Dark Knight responded bitterly.

"Of course! Why not? Life is a big joke and death is the greatest punch line! I just deliver it sooner and in the funniest way." Joker ran a hand along the Detective's jaw line. "And you and me handsome, are gonna continue this little chat when I get back."

"What are you going to do, Joker?"

"Though you have my full attention, you're not my only audience. Have a show to do. I will leave instructions to Punch for your care. Bye now, Bats." The Jester walked away flouncing joyfully while whistling a tune and waving a happy hand at the Detective. Batman fought slightly against the binds, but it was useless. He was too weak and tired to try anything at all. He needed to rest, and replenish energies, but the Joker was making very sure, he was as helpless as he could be. He just wondered how long the Clown was going to keep him alive, before finally disposing of him.


	4. I protest

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's note.**_ Here is another chapter of the story for your entertainment. It's difficult to follow a plot...when originally there was no plot...but am working on it. Hope you friends like what I have in store. For those that had so kindly asked about PATH OF THE JESTER...I have not forgotten. It's just that I'm on sabbatical with Harley...Let me explain..._

_She came to me...(as all characters do when I write them) and told me that the way I was writing was not her. I had to stop and think and make some adjustments and research and she is showing me how she should be acting. I really want to do her honor...so bear with me. There is gonna be a posting soon._

_Now to the credits_ and please leave some Feedback

_Disclaimer1: BATMAN and related characters belong to DC COMICS_

_Disclaimer2: There is going to be some MATURE LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS_

_This chapter had a Beta once: LADY EVIL._

**CHAPTER 4: I PROTEST**

Mayor Stratton was reading his speech rather loudly on the makeshift dressing room which was prepared on the City Hall lobby. He had always been a man of the people and the people demanded him to be strong in this moment of turmoil. The press had been rough in criticizing his management of the criminal population in Gotham which charged with being too soft on criminals who have demonstrated cannot be rehabilitated.

The reporters instead had asked for blood and started a debate that was catching steam in all forums. The dispute turned nasty when one reported suggested that criminals like the Joker, with proven failures on their intended rehabilitation were no more than rabid animals that preyed on Gotham's innocent and should be put to death like the beasts they were, instead of wasting the citizen's money on preserving their lives in a lunatic asylum that does not seem to be able to keep them for long.

That was a tough argument, so tough that he couldn't find an argument to defend the Joker at all, especially after his latest criminal spree. How could he argue the fact that criminals should be offered every chance of rehabilitation when the psychopath had attacked a summer camp full of children kidnapping a dozen of those, burned the camp to a crisp, and on top of that killed all the troop leaders of the camp?

There was no excuse to what Joker had done. And God only knows what the Clown wanted to do with the children. It didn't take a lot of effort to answer that question; no one lived long with Joker. How could he not agree with the press that some criminals are beyond rehabilitation and that deserve to die for the greater good? The people demanded that he make a statement on the recent events, and Stratton couldn't disappoint his people, especially with elections closing in rapidly for the city. It was not that he did not care for the people of Gotham, but he needed some more time to make changes in the city to turn this dark city into the new dream he had in mind.

"Mayor Stratton," said Police Commissioner James Gordon approaching him in the lobby.

"Is security all set in place, Commissioner? This is a very special speech." The City leader inquired as he sifted through papers nervously.

"Yes, but I insist it would have been better if we would have held the meeting under closed doors, in a safer place." The commissioner added.

"And prove that I'm afraid of the criminal element of this city? Sorry Commissioner. Can't do." The major said with obvious indignation in his voice.

"These criminals don't play around, Mr. Mayor. There's reason to be concerned, and the Joker is still on the loose."

"That is where your police department comes in, Gordon. My people want me to talk to them face to face and I'm going to do just that. No criminal is going to scare me of doing my job. Not even the Joker." Stratton said strongly.

Gordon shook his head softly; a swift hand brushed over his moustache. He didn't know if these were the words of a very brave or very crazy man. He had to put on a smile even while Gotham City festers from a plague at breakneck speed. Still, would it help that the city needed a code red at the moment? He was the city's leader and he had to follow his orders. "Allright. We have guards posted in every corner, within the crowd and at the podium. We have police choppers doing surveillance of an area of about two miles around City Hall, and patrol cars are stationed all around the building. That is not counting all the electronic surveillance we have in use. I'm hoping that would be enough to deter anyone from trying to do something."

"And we have the Caped Crusader."

"Yes. He is probably watching from somewhere." Gordon sighed. He remembered he had opted to say anything about the Detective's disappearance and the Joker probable involvement with it. If it leaked that the Batman was out of commission, the city will turn into a real chaos.

The leader of the city council approached Stratton. "They're waiting, Mr. Mayor."

Stratton nodded. "Then, let's do it."

ooooooooooooooooooooo

From the roof of the Utilities building Tim had a clear view of the City Hall Plaza. He was surveying the entire crowd with his binoculars in search of anything abnormal. He didn't understand why the Major opted to do this speech out in the open, but he knew that without Batman around, the responsibility of aiding the Police Department with the security, rested solely on him and his team.

From another roof he could see Batgirl, pacing nervously from one end of the ledge to the other, anxious for action. He switched the binoculars from infrared to normal vision and ran another scan of the crowd. He could read all the signs and cartels many of them with heartfelt concerns for justice and safety in the streets. Others were just hateful.

KILL THE MONSTERS BEFORE THEY KILL US!

and

JOKER, MORE ANIMAL THAN MAN. EUTHANASIA NOW!

were a few of the messages that struck Tim the most. He knew that the Joker, like other criminals were a threat to the city's innocent population, and that the guy has proven more than once that he was beyond rehabilitation, but that statement was just medieval, no matter how much the Clown deserved it. Robin sighed in relief when he read one of the cartels in the crowd like

BETTER SECURITY AT THE ASYLUM EQUALS SAFER STREETS.

At least a few of them understood where the real problem laid. The city might not be able to do much more than cage the criminally insane according to the law, but at least they should guarantee that once caged, they will not get out.

"Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Tim?" answered a soothing voice through the speaker in Robin's ear.

"Any signs from Batman?"

"I'm afraid not, sir, but keeping a close eye on the monitors. Is everything safe at the Major's speech?"

"So far, nothing strikes me. I hope it stays this quiet. To tell you the truth, after reading some of those signs, I'm concerned more about the crowd than by any attack from Joker or Two Face."

"That bad, sir?" The butler responded.

"Let's just say that it's enough to explode violently in a very short time. I feel like I'm sitting on gunpowder."

"Hopefully, Mayor Stratton can appeal to the best in Gotham's people. He's always been a pacifist."

"Let's hope so. Talk to you later, Alfred. Robin out."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Mayor reached the podium specially prepared for the occasion. He stood behind the microphone and tapped it several times. The speakers reproduced the sound nice and clear. Stratton left his notes down over the podium and looked at the crowd. Everybody was attentive to him, but he couldn't get his attention off the many cartels and signs that people carried around. Some good, some bad, other just plain mean were not good news. He would do his best to keep the peace.

"My fellow citizens," Stratton said allowing a moment for the crowd to get in synch with him. "I've come to you today because your concerns about a safer Gotham City have reached my ears, and I want you to know that I share your worries. I want Gotham to be a dream everybody wants to dream about…a dream of progress, growing economy and safer streets."

The Mayor made another pause to survey the audience. He could hear the mumbling, some booing and could see others silently shaking their signs. "Like you, I want to have a city where my family can rest assure that everything they have tried so hard to achieve is not threatened, where I can sleep knowing that my children are safe. I want a city that is not measured by high murder records that get broken year after year, or how many points unemployment had risen this quarter. I want a new Gotham, one that is measured by the value of its citizens, and what we can do together.

"But we can't work towards this new Gotham, if we are stuck, fighting each other over the issues at hand. So I am asking you to put the differences away and meet together in a more peaceful forum, discussing the problems that affect this city and coming up with solutions. You and me, together, because the Mayor of this city is not only a politician, but he's also a citizen and your concerns are my concerns as well."

The Mayor was interrupted by a round of applause. His call for peace was getting through. "There are criminal elements out there that are threatening our city. You know their names. Joker, Two-face, Poison Ivy, and Mr. Freeze, and we will not allow them to take control of our city or our lives. NEVER! We are not afraid of them…I am not afraid of them, but we have to face these criminals together, because together, we are more powerful than all of them combined and we are going to show them what a united city can do. And we will do it peacefully, to show them that we don't need to be as violent as they are, because we are better than they are."

Another round of applause started when a tomato thrown from the crowd hit the mayor on the chest. There was a soft laugh from the crowd. Gordon started to move his effectives on the podium, trying to find who had thrown the vegetable and apprehend them. "This is the violence I was afraid of, Gotham. This is what I was trying to avert."

Another tomato hit the Mayor's speech on the podium and three more hit the council members on the stage. Gordon was now screaming instructions to his men on the podium and on his transmitter. One large tomato hit the Mayor on the face producing a small puff of green smoke.

"Gotham…please," pleaded Stratton cleaning his face. "There is no need….(ha, ha, ha)...there is no need for…(hee hee)…violence" The Mayor looked at Gordon without being able to control his laughter. A rain of tomatoes fell over the people at the podium producing the same green puff and some even fell into the crowd. Stratton tried to hold onto the podium doing everything he could to stop laughing. Even Gordon had started to giggle. Someone in a dark suit and wide brimmed hat jumped into the stage and walked over to Stratton, aiding him to get away the podium. The man in the dark suit spoke softly to the microphone.

"My fellow Americans, it is with great pleasure that I bring this boring speech to an end. I've taken the liberty to make some minor changes to your regularly scheduled programming, a little bit of comedy for a change." The man lifted his face, white as a ghost with a large smile that parted his pasty face like an open wound. The man started to laugh as he pulled a gun and put it against the laughing Major's head.

"Nobody moves or the Mayor ends with an open mind, open to the elements, that is. And that goes also to the little birdies I know are watching this. If I see any of your little capes around, I'm snuffing Stratton and then I'll take it on the Big Bad Bat." Joker smiled sinisterly.

More tomatoes kept being thrown from everywhere, now falling into the crowd as much as into the stage creating a dense green cloud. Gordon and the council as well as half the crowd on the first few rows, were now laughing hysterically.

"Today, I come to you in peace. Just to let you know how disappointed I am that you have not understood what I have tried to do to this city. Humor with death is not an easy business, but behold! I've made the local police the laughing stock! A gathering of dead law enforcers are laughing themselves to their last breath thanks to me. That's what I do and I have not lost the touch." The Jester motioned along with the giggling Mayor to the officers and council members that now were laughing themselves hysterically. Some of them had tumbled to the floor where they had continued to laugh until tears had started to fall.

"I don't have much time so I'll be brief. You have hurt me by your mean, inconsiderate comments about my work. You've even gone to the absurd limits of reason to call me an animal. I am not an animal, Gotham. I'm a man. I'm a man with an addiction, yes to make you laugh at any cost, even if I have to kill you all in the process. I'm a comedian, a genius in the middle of a creative spark.

"And I protest the rude treatment of my persona every time you put me back in the hospital…and now the way the press is treating my image. It's not fair! I'm a sensitive man, and I'm starting to think you don't like me. For your own good, I hope that's not true…because if you don't like me, I'll have to kill you all very painfully and get me a new audience who will appreciate me a little more. And believe me, that is a lot of work I'd rather avoid."

There was a loud explosion in mid air and one of the patrol helicopters came down in flames at the end of the street. From the top of one of the buildings, the Jester saw a blurred figure swinging down to ground level. It was time to do a hasty exit.

"This is my only warning, Gotham. I will not be treated like filth by the likes of you, because I am more than you are. More than you ever hope to be. Not even you, united under this moronic Mayor and dragging an army can stand against an upset clown so measure your words in the future, Gotham. Then I might grant you another beautiful sunrise…another day you can breathe the polluted air of the city and say…WHEW! I survived the night. Someone was smiling over me…" Joker sighed. "I am the one smiling on you, Gotham. You just need to understand the Joke. Now, if you'll excuse me…it's time for me to leave."

"You're not going anywhere, Joker!" Robin said standing on top of one of the patrol cars closest to the stage.

"Was wondering when you were going to show up, Tinker boy." Joker said holding tight to Stratton who was now trying to catch his breath while he laughed hysterically.

"Let the Mayor go and surrender now." The Boy Wonder demanded.

"Ohh, trying to be the man now that your daddy is gone, eh kid? I don't know, but you don't sound too intimidating, maybe when you change your voice…"

The second Police helicopter made a turn around the postal building at the northern end of the street and came fast towards the stage opening fire over Robin, who, cussing under his breath, leaped off the car and rolled on the street.

"Joker (ha, ha, ha…) you're (heh, heh)not…" The Mayor sputtered between gasps.

"Shut up, Stratton, and die with the rest of your boring city. Then they'll see who's really in charge." The Clown Prince pushed the Major off the stage and ran rapidly to the right end where he jumped off with what seemed supernatural agility, landing safely backstage where there was people running aimlessly all over, or laughing uncontrollably on the floor without noticing him. The Jester pushed around his way, jumping over dead bodies and giggling citizens until he found a man on a motorcycle. He jumped on the back of the bike, patted the man over the shoulder, and left the scene at full speed.

Joker laughed at his delight, this had been one of his most daring plans and he had gotten away in one piece. Not that he doubted he could outsmart the cops or the dynamic duo, but there was always some margin for error, and some errors could end up with his arrest on the best of days or his death on the worst. Just the thought of losing his life for sake of making fun of this city gave him a rush. He felt light headed and thrilled; the heart pounding hard against in his chest, this was better than being on any drug.

"Think we got company, sir." The biker said looking through the rear-view mirror. Joker turned around and saw a single headlight closing on them. On top of that bike a black figure, was leaning over the handles. Behind the bike, he saw the blinking lights of patrol cars.

"It's that darned Bat-lady! The little bird's girlfriend, lose her, Herman!" Yelled the Clown

"I'm trying, but she's fast," protested the driver.

Joker pulled a small walkie talkie from his jacket. "Lou, I need pick up… fast!"

"Coming in, sir." A voice responded at the other end of the speaker.

"Maybe you can even target practice with my tail? It's getting long."

The Police helicopter turned around the City Hall and quickly caught up with the patrol cars in Joker's pursuit. The pilot opened fire with the helicopter's machine gun, causing some of the patrol cars to lose control and crash to one another. A big ball of fire from an exploding patrol car, smashed against the parked vehicles on the curb. The Helicopter opened fire on the Bat-girl's bike, forcing her to maneuver dangerously on the street. Joker was smiling complacently, enjoying the destruction caused in his escape.

A ladder dropped from the police helicopter as it started to approach the Joker's bike. When it was within reach, the Clown extended a hand and latched to one of the rungs, while with the other hand he pulled his .38 and fired at the driver in the back of his helmet. The helicopter increased its altitude with the Joker holding tight to its ladder while the bike that had served as a transport for the escape went over the sidewalk and crashed into a department store. The dead driver rolled on the floor a few feet before coming to a full stop.

Joker replaced the gun in his jacket and started to climb up the stairs while the helicopter had started to fly away from the highway. In the middle of his climb, the Jester searched for something on his shoulder and then pulled out a metallic yellow band. He tossed the band towards Batgirl's bike which was trying to keep up hopelessly with the chopper. They made a quick getaway disappeared with his transport behind some buildings

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

In the ground Batgirl slowed down the bike until she came to a complete stop by the band Joker had thrown from the ladder. She removed her helmet and getting off the bike took a closer look to the band. She immediately recognized it for what it was…Batman's utility belt. The fall had dented some of the compartments and exposed some of the silvery metal under the paint, and attached to the buckle, was a large tag with a handwritten note on it.

"Cass, status report?" Robin asked through the speaker on her cowl.

"I lost the Joker." Batgirl said softly, embarrassment covering every word. "He had a solid escape route when he used that chopper. At least we can now be sure that he was involved with Batman's disappearance." Cassandra picked up the belt.

"What? How do you know?"

"Before he left the scene, he tossed Batman's utility belt. I have it in my hands now."

There was a short silence.

"Keep it safe, Cass, we'll analyze it for leads later. Right now I need help getting the antidote to all the people exposed to the Joker's toxin. Please hurry. I'm starting to lose some of them."

"Coming…" The masked vigilante said, going back into her bike and turning around in direction of City Hall. This was going to be one of the most difficult things to do, return with the knowledge that she was not good enough to bring the Joker down. What will Robin think of her?


	5. Headlines

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's note.**_ Hello. Time for another installment of the Joker Playmate. Hope you like how the adventure is evolving. Please be kind and leave some feedback, that is always welcome and encouraging...even if it is positive criticism. Pleaes help me become a better writer. _

_Well Here we go...fasten your seatbelts_

_Disclaimer 1: Batman and Related Characters belong to DC COMICS_

_Disclaimer 2: Some scene WILL contain EXPLICIT and MATURE despictions as well as MATURE LANGUAGE...be warned._

**Chapter 5: HEADLINES**

Batman woke up chained to a wall on the basement. He had been forced to kneel in front of the wall, with his hands and feet bound by a thick heavy chain that did not allowed for much movement and was starting to make his feet numb. The room around him spun slowly, and some of the shadows seemed to be alive, dancing from wall to wall. Whatever made up Crane's gas was starting to get to his mind making him feel like he was losing his sanity very slowly.

How long had he been unconscious, it was impossible to determine, but he felt so exhausted as if he had been running a marathon for days. It must be a side effect of the gas accompanied by the fact that he had nothing to eat and barely anything to drink since the Joker had captured him. But how could he trust the Jester, after the Clown had just drugged him many a times, trying to break his strong will, and pervert him with his mind games? He thought the Joker even capable of putting something in his food and water to keep him sedated.

The Knight closed his eyes and focused. He needed to concentrate on a way to get out of this deathtrap to save the children from the Jester's claws, but for that, he will have to gather force to overcome the side effects of the drug. The Batman shivered…it was a reflex he couldn't control, and it concerned him not able to have control of his body. He had to find his center…

The door opened and he heard Joker's laughter. The Knight opened his eyes and saw the Jester, in a red jacket and white pants with a red bow on a white shirt. He walk in, flouncing happily to him, giggling to himself while behind him Punch carried a large tray in his hands. The Joker stopped a few feet from Batman.

"Punch, leave us. There are things we need to discuss." The henchman did as he was told and when done, he abandoned hastily the room leaving the Clown and the Detective to themselves. "They have told me you refuse to eat or drink. No good, Bats. Can't have you dying on me, you know?"

Batman narrowed his eyes and stared into the Jester's green orbs that sparkled with the innocence of a nine-year-old. Scorpions also look harmless before they sting you the Detective reminded himself. Batman reclined his head against the wall. "Like you cared."

"Oh, but darling…I do care. I care for you and hate to see you like this…"

"Screw you, Joker."

"Oooh, you've never used that language with me before! Something must really be bothering you to be so cranky."

"The gas you're using on me…" Batman started to say slowly.

"It's making you feel crappy, I know. I wish I knew more of the side effects of this formula, but unfortunately, my last test subject didn't last this long."

"Lemme guess, your last subject didn't make it..." mused Batman with obvious concern in his voice.

"Yes, very sad indeed. He couldn't take the nightmares and threw himself off a window…He gave a new meaning to the word street pizza. And the blood stain, stayed for a few days." Joker smiled joyfully. "Oh, well, ce est la vie. You gain some, you lose some."

"Is that what everybody is for you…a thing you can dispose of?"

"Well…no. There are also those you can't get rid of…like you, for instance. But that's OK, because now I like you." The Jester's smile widened and his green eyes sparkle with childish joy. The Batman just glared hatefully. The Joker sat by the tray and removed the cover revealing a large bowl of white steamed rice and another with a vegetable medley. He started serving some of the rice and vegetables on two smaller plastic bowls. He scurried closer to the Knight and offered one of the bowls but Batman just ignored the offering and looked down, resting his head against the wall.

Joker set the bowl beside The Caped Detective and sat comfortably with his legs crossed. "You know, I reasoned that you might not be a pizza-burger guy and this might be more in your alley…you look like the healthy type. There is nothing healthier than rice and veggies. I skipped the meat thinking you might be a strict vegan, but I can get you meat if you want…"

Batman did not respond. Just closed his eyes and tried to focus his mind once more like he had learned long ago in the Himalayas, controlling the breathing slowly, then he shivered…he had to work harder. His body was giving away to the privations this monster clown was having him go through. He heard Joker speak. He was saying something of how he understood that Batman had reserves in trusting him, but that he was sincere. Now that was a good joke. The Joker was sincere and meant well. SURE…and that was the reason why he was chained to a wall, semi-drugged and half hallucinating. The Clown kept talking, but his voice started to fade away in the distance. In a few minutes it was not louder than the rustling of leaves in autumn. Good. He was not in the mood to hear the Clown bickering.

A loud solid noise by his head took him by surprise and he flinched instinctively and open his eyes only to find the bowl of food upside down on the floor with the rice and the vegetables scattered all over him. Batman looked up to the walls and a small amount of rice spattered on its grey surface with tiny specs of very vibrant green and yellow. He then turned around and looked at the Joker who still sat in front of him frowning and staring indignantly back at him.

"Well, well, well your highness. You finally decided to come down from your cloud and look at your humble peasants. You know how rude it is to talk and talk like I'm having a monologue or something whiley ou just decide to go to sleep on me. Am I that boring?" Batman just stared. Joker was getting to be very annoying. "Well, are you gonna say something or are you just gonna stare me down?"

"Joker, when are you… going to grow up?"

"Excuse me?" The Jester responded with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"You're acting like a spoiled brat. You really can't stand it when people are not paying attention to you, do you?"

"Well, that is unexpected. I was just making a remark of how rude it is that nobody is paying attention when I'm talking. It was just a comment, you know. You should know that when someone is talking, other people should listen."

"Or rather when YOU talk, everybody should listen, or else."

"That's nice yes…good point, but the point is…"

"The point is that you think you are the center of the universe and everything needs to revolve around you." Batman made a pause and looked at Joker who was trying to come up with a response. "You are not the center of anything Joker, you've never will, because you are so off centered, in a little world of your own, that you don't fit in the real world anymore."

"That's not nice, Bats. I come here like a good host, bring you special food, and some company and you lash at me like I'm your enemy. I'm just trying to be nice."

"Listen to what you are saying, Clown. You are not a host and I'm not your guest. I'm your prisoner and right now I am locked up in a basement dizzy, in pain, and having to listen to you justify your crazy behavior with stupid excuses."

Joker turned around and kicked the tray with the remnant food so hard that the bowl ended on the other end of the room and the tray broke in half. There was rice and steamed squash all over the floor. The Jester paced anxiously, running a hand after another through his green mane, the curls bouncing up and down, untamed.

"Now listen to me, Bat-sap" Joker finally spat in an angry tone, while shaking a menacing finger in front of the Batman. His eyes were small and furious. "We would not be in this situation if you would just drop your act and start to see things from my point of view…I really want you and I to get closer together, get to know each other... "

"Why do I have to see things from your point of view? I can't get that high up your ass…"

Joker growled and lunged like an animal at the man in chains pinning him against the wall. Batman just looked at him and smiled.

"How DARE you mock me…" The Clown glared viciously.

"The Joker can't take a joke? Why I am not surprised." Batman said sardonically.

"I could have you killed, tortured, quartered you and…"

"Typical Joker behavior, you can't take a no for an answer. Everybody has to bow at your every whim or you just start murdering people until they pay attention to you. By then the body count has reached the double digits. You're so predictable. You said you cared. I just don't get it. Either you really don't care, or you're lying. "The Batman said shrilly.

"I…care…" Joker said spitting every word through gritted teeth. "…for…you!"

"Then why am I in chains…? Why do you have to keep children against their will? If you cared, you will release them and let them join their families."

Joker pulled back and rose, leaving the Detective against the wall. He ran an absentminded hand on his mouth and backed off a few steps, still staring at the Caped Detective. The Jester wrapped his arms around him nervously. "This is crazy…I really need to control my temper. You…you are testing me, aren't you?"

"Why in the world would I want to test you? I know who you are and what you can do. You are more predictable than the phases of the moon. See, you still are thinking this is about you, you self centered maniac!"

Joker muttered something to himself and busted into a hysterical laughter, bending over as he tried to catch his breath.

"WOW…I really needed to laugh." The Clown said dusting his clothes. "Tell me Bats. Why do those brats worry you so much? You don't even know them."

"Know them enough to know that they don't need to be here with you. Why did you kidnap them?"

"To have you go after me. It was getting so hard to get your attention lately. I would really come to think that you don't want me around anymore."

"No I don't. I want you back in Arkham."

"Ohh, stop it…don't think that I don't know I matter to you more than you dare to accept. You need me, because I bring the best in you, don't I?"

"You've become delusional, Clown."

Joker walked towards the Batman and knelt over when he started running a thin finger over his enemy's neck and down his shoulder. Batman pulled away. "Why do you keep pulling away, handsome? You already proved to me you really liked me treating you like this. You shuddered…" The Clown came closer to him and whispered into his ear. "You gasped…you yearned for my touch."

"And you are out of your mind…" The Knight said pushing the Jester away. Joker responded to latching to the Detective's hands, pulling them closer to him; a sinister smile curled up on the edges of that ruby mouth.

"True, but I know how to make an impression. You could insult me, you could pull away from me…but what you can't deny is the fact that I made you feel something you've never felt before and the worst part is that you obviously enjoyed it. How does that make you feel, hm?" Joker said while rubbing against the black leathery gloves. "And I have to admit you made an impression on me too…I've never felt like this before…no…felt it once, but that was a long time ago and I thought no one will make me feel this again." The Clown laughed. "You are making me so happy, Bats."

Batman stared angrily. "Joker, you have me. Let the children go, you don't need them anymore."

"That's true, but letting them go…" The Jester shook his head. "…no can do. These kids know where I live and they are probably gonna talk to the police. Now that you mention it…I might need to solve that problem my way if you don't mind."

"Joker, they only children…"

"Oh, I know that…they are a lot of fun to keep around, and seem to be the only ones who can really understand me." The Jester giggled. "And I like it when they scream."

"Joker, just let the children go…For once, behave like the human being you claim to be."

Joker started laughing. "Bats, if I would have known children were your soft spot, I would have kidnapped a few so long ago. A whole bus of them so I could have spares!" The Clown rose and started to walk away laughing loudly. "And since it seems that being nice to you has not gotten my message through your thick skull, maybe you need me to be a little tougher…be…me, the Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime and do what I do best."

"What are you talking about?"

"Clown persuasion. I will kill one child for every meal you skip…plain and simple; and I will do it right here in front of you so you can see their little faces as I slit their little throats."

"You better not touch those children…"

"Try me, Detective." Joker said plainly, staring fixedly at the Knight's blue orbs.

Batman looked momentarily around as if searching for something to throw at the smiling harlequin, mocking him with that detestable grin. The Clown's eyes never left Detective and Batman met those green eyes full of fury, for the Joker was carrying the winning hand.  
The Joker nodded complacently and started walking to the door when Punch entered the basement.

"Any changes, sir?" The thug asked rubbing both his hands together.

"Just one Punch. Bring another food tray, this time even bring desert and offer it to my guest. If he refuses to eat again, you call me and get one of the kids…starting now, Capice? Then we will play."

"Loud and clear…sir." Punch responded while faking a military salute. Joker turned around and walked out of the basement laughing maniacally down the hall.

"Who is winning this little game we play, Bats, how does it feel not being the alpha male anymore?"

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gordon read the note for the third time. He couldn't believed that the Joker had indeed captured the Knight Detective; he preferred to think that this was just another of Batman's plans to stay close to the Clown while the police, or even himself tried to release the children's from the Jester's clutches.

_Dear Diaper Boy,  
Just dropping a note to confirm what you probably know. I have removed the Dark Detective permanently from your city and between him, the Kiwanis and me, we're having a blast. I've been thinking of opening a new day care center here in my hideout…didn't know that handling children could be so much fun…I'd forgotten children could scream so loud either. Wait until the little bodies start appearing throughout the city…you will be begging me to stop…and I will just look at your with a wild smile on my face and say…no way, Jose. Ahhh. And before I forget, Boy Blunder…get off my plate, kid…the stage belongs to me and the Dark Knight has eyes only for me so, drop dead Birdie!"  
Sincerely and Always Smiling, Joker_

"And you said this was the note on the utility belt Joker left at the scene of the crime yesterday?"

"Yes Commissioner."

"And the utility belt is indeed Batman's, right?"

"Confirmed."

Gordon put the note down… and looked seriously at the young Robin in front of him. "I…was hoping that Batman was just following the Clown. This complicates things."

"Commissioner?" Montoya asked walking over to stand by Gordon's desk.

"Don't you see it Renee? With the Dark Knight at the hands of that maniac, the city has lost one of his bravest protectors." Gordon saw the young sidekick lower his head sadly. "Don't want to sound disrespectful, Robin, but we have to face reality…Batman was a very strong influence in this city's war on Crime. A stronger influence than Batgirl, Nightwing or you because of all the years of experience he has …"

"I understand, "Robin answered, but Tim underneath that mask really resented that the Batman was a larger figure than he was. He had always tried to make a name for himself, that is why he had gone solo, and joined the Teen Titans. However even Robin had to admit that the figure of the Caped Vigilante was well deep-seated among the city's legends and it was going to be difficult to argue that.

"If Gotham's criminal underworld gets word of this, and Joker tried hard to spread the news through his little adventure at the mayor's speech yesterday, your work is just going to become extremely difficult keeping peace within the city and searching for Batman at the same time."

"To say the least, Commissioner." Robin said holding tightly against the Commissioner's desk.

"It will better to keep it under wraps, for now. Lie if we have to. Only then you will have enough space to make your move, while they still think that Batman is around." Gordon rose from his desk and walked over to the office window staring at the traffic below. "I still don't know how that Clown was able to get through all that security we had in city hall yesterday, even steal one of the GCPD choppers. He's getting bolder. How many dead?"

"Eleven," said Montoya crossing her arms over her chest. "Could have been worse if Robin didn't have had the antidote at hand."

"Batman always said to be prepared for the unexpected." The Boy Wonder started to say when Detective Bullock stormed into the Commissioner's office with the Gotham Gazette in hand. He walked over to the Commissioner who still stood by the window and handed him the paper. Gordon read the large headlines.

"Is it true, Commissioner? Does he have the Batman?" The Detective asked with obvious concern in his voice.

Gordon's face said it all. He walked slowly back towards his desk, newspaper in hand and as he passed by Robin, passed on the Gazette to the young crime fighter. The Commissioner reached his chair and let himself down heavily resting his hands over the desk. He removed his glasses, set them down in front of him, and massaged the bridge of his nose.

**"JOKER CAPTURES BATMAN, PROMISES CRIME WAVE TO ESCALATE TO HIGHEST LEVELS IN HISTORY."**

Robin read aloud, while making a pause to let the headlines sink in. This was not something that needed to be exposed now. The criminal element will turn notice and double their activities and make it very difficult to coordinate efforts to keep the city safe to see who could catch the prize quickest: The Batman.

He read the first few paragraphs. "If Joker sent a similar note to the Gazette. The whole city will know now."

"Then it's true…?" Said Bullock.

"Yes, Harvey…it's true. Those are the worst news we could get at this time. God protect us and God protect this city."


	6. Painful Choices

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Authors note:** _Thank to all the nice readers that have left their piece of mind regarding this little story...thanks for the reviews guys and thanks for the constructive criticism. It is greatly appreciated. Hope this chapter keeps your attention in gear...I'm sorry Im not posting as fast as I would like, but inspiration takes time...especially when Path of the Jester is grabbing all my attention these days..but I will continue posting regularly. If you like the story and really want me to continue...please let me know in your reviews. OK? And believe it or not...suggestions regarding plot are welcomed._

_This chapter had a beta once:_** LADY EVIL**

_Now enjoy this little chapter_

**CHAPTER 6: PAINFUL CHOICES**

Joker sat comfortably on the large armchair, his legs over one of the armrests with his back rested against the other while going over a schematic drawing of the Gotham Gazette building. He was giggling happily when Lou rushed in, with color gone from his face. Joker turned his head around and looked angrily at the intruder.

"You got three seconds to get back out and knock the door before you enter or I will blow your head off, Lou."

"Sir, this is important…"the henchman said nervously.

"Hmm. One." Joker pulled his gun and smiled. "Two."

"TheBatmanescapedsir…." Lou spat out as fast as he could at the same time he dropped to the floor covering his head and closing his eyes. No gunshot. Lou opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were the black shiny shoes with the purple spats a few inches in front of him. The thug lifted his head gingerly to find out the Clown Prince staring down at him.

"I didn't get that last thing you said, Lou…" Joker chirped softly, holding his .38 firmly by his scratching his temple with the barrel. "You mind repeating that one more time?"

Lou got up from the floor without losing sight of the Boss' hand with the gun. He was sweating profusely. "The Batman…he attacked Punch and escaped."

Joker let out an angry snort and walked hastily out of the room towards the basement, where he last had spoken head with the Dark Knight only to find it empty except for Punch on the floor fighting against the chains that now bound his hands and legs. The Jester walked over the thug and aimed his gun to the man's head.

"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't make a hole in your useless brain, Punch?" The Clown Prince of Crime said as he started to put pressure on the trigger. "You failed me."

"Please sir…no! He tricked me! The Bat jerked around as if he was having a seizure or somethin', then he didn't move and when I went to check, he got me by surprise! Please Mr. J-J-Joker! Have m-mercy…"

"We need to move sir, once he contacts the police, this place is gonna be surrounded by pigs." Lou said, trying to shift the attention of the Clown from Punch to more important matters. Joker just answered by aiming his .38 at Lou.

"He can't contact the police, but I'm sure he's gonna try something else, Lou. And he's not far from here. He would not leave without the children. I know my bat." The Clown aimed the gun at Punch's head. "Where are my children?"

"S-still in the game room. Herman, Gale and Murry are keeping an eye on them." Punch responded with a terrified voice. Joker pulled the gun away from the thug.

"I want everybody in and around that room. Anything that gets close to that room and doesn't look like needs to be shot. Understood?" Joker took a key from the jacket of his suit and dropped it by chained thug on the floor. "And lucky for you, Punch! I need all the hands I can get, so get your stupid ass into the game room and keep the children quiet. Can you at least do that?"

"Y-yes, s-s-sir." Punch stuttered, while undoing the chains and leaving the basemen.

"Oh Bats, you're in so much trouble-" Joker said lifting his head with his eyes closed. "Why do you have to make everything more difficult than what it really is?"

"Excuse me, sir?" said Lou looking at the Clown Prince strangely.

"The Bat. He doesn't know what I am capable of doing to get him back…" Joker uttered in a very low ominous tone of voice. He was not a happy clown anymore. "And I'm willing to do anything at this moment, like burning this city to the ground..." Joker looked down to Lou and repeated his last words several times. "…the ground. Why didn't I not think of that before…?"

"What sir…?

"Lou, bring me one of the kids to the rooftop, would you? ANY kid." The Jester said leaving the room hastily towards the stairs. He went up in long strides, passing floor after floor until he reached the door that opened to the rooftop and tried to open it but without much success. Something seemed to be put blocking the door from outside. Joker went down one flight of stairs and landed on the fifth floor. He looked around and started walking down the hall until he got to the window. He forced the window open and stepped out into the fire escape ladder. Using the ladder he climbed up into to the top of the roof. It was empty but had the funny feeling that someone was staring at him. He held tightly to his gun.

Joker stepped slowly on the rooftop and started to walk towards the door to the stairs. Like he had suspected the door had been jammed from the outside, and he knew who to blame for that. Joker kicked the piece of wood jamming the doorknob.

"Bats, it's useless. I'm not going to let you leave so easily. You are mine, mine, mine." Joker said without having a response from the shadows. "Come on Batsy…I know you're here. It would have been the best place for a distress signal, if only you could make that cowl work, but not tonight, right?"

There was no response. The wind whistled as it moved around the metal structures that were accumulated in one corner of the rooftop. Joker pulled an iPhone from his jacket and started to go through the icon menu in the tiny screen and pressed a key. A loud siren was heard through the phone and the Jester heard someone moan in pain behind him, by the heat exhaust from the building. Joker turned and with his .38 in hand walked over to where he had heard the deep protesting voice.

"How…did you know?" a voice cut through the shadows.

"Bats like ceilings and this is the closest thing specially to send a transmission to your friends out there. At the same you could not leave the kids to their luck, especially with a maniac like me, so you stayed to guarantee their safety until the pigs arrive. Sorry I had to cut your show short, but it is not going to work."

"Who said it didn't." The voice said from a different area of the dark roof. "They're coming for you."

"Let me see about that," Joker said checking the small screen on his iPhone. "Yeah, one morse code to an unknown number—I'm assuming Boy blunder and one to Gordon's number at the station. I got them all logged right here and can tell you…none left the roof. I had your cowl redirect to my iPhone."

"You could not-." Batman said making a long pause. How could Joker rewire the comm. Unint in his cowl with such ease and the thought disturbed him. Joker must have seen what he looked like without a cowl.

"Wanna bet? Try again handsome?" Joker's phone beeped a few times in what seemed rudimentary Morse code. Joker responded typing another set of dots and lines. "You got my message?"

Silence. Then a growl from the shadows. "Your perverse sense of humor knows no limits."

"It was just an invitation to a funeral. Either yours or the kids. Decide soon because it's very cold here. I want' to sit by the fireplace before I get a cold. Maybe you need an incentive." The Joker dialed a number. He waited a moment in silence, then the piercing noise wailed again on the rooftop. "Can you hear me now?"

In the shadows, Joker saw a dark figure kneeling on the floor, and the piercing alarm when off again. The man in the floor, jerked in obvious pain. Joker repeated his question: "Can you hear me now?"

"Stop that." The Detective let out as a whisper while squirming on the floor.

"Really? But I'm only halfway on the volume scale. Wanna hear the rest of the song?" The jester said waving the phone in his hand and activated the alarm app. The siren sounded again and the figure on the floor recoiled violently. Joker busted in laughter. "I loooove my iPhone, Thanks,Mr. Jobs. You're were the man!"

The figure in the floor lunged frenziedly tackling the Clown to the ground making him lose the grip on his gun that fell against a corner. The Batman sat on the Jester while he tried to wrestle the cell phone out of his hand. The Knight pressed a knee against the Joker's chest and crushed the Clown's face against the floor with a powerful hand, while trying to release the iPhone from the maniac, but the Jester held to the phone with all his might.

Joker lifted his arm and got a hold of the Detective's arm with his free hand and the buzzer concealed in the Jester's glove fired sending spark of lighting along the Knight' arm throwing him back a few paces. The Clown caught his breath and rose unsteady on his feet only to get biffed on the stomach and on the right side of the face. The Joker fell painfully on his knees, and Batman finished the Clown with a sharp kick at the face. The Jester fell on his side, wheezing loudly, and the phone, now out of his hand landed a few feet away. The Knight walked over to where the phone lay and knelt to pick it up when a gunshot was fired and he felt a piercing pain in his hand. The Batman looked down and noticed blood on his glove and he could hardly feel the tip of his fingers.

"That…is… my…iPhone." Joker said with great effort aiming a smaller gun to the Caped Vigilante while dragging himself towards the phone on the floor. "You know how much I had to pay for that…fucking phone? I literally had to kill for that phone."

The Bat was ready to land violently on the clown again, when someone called from the stairs.

"Boss, you there?"

"Well…I think…this…is the end of the road for you, eh Batsy?" Joker said forcing a smile that sounded more like a painful moan. The Dark Knight ran towards the ledge taking the iPhone on his way.

"NO!" screamed the Jester still on the floor. "LOU, YOU HAVE THE KID WITH YOU?"

"Yes, sir!"

"THEN GET READY TO BLOW HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF!" Joker rose painfully from the floor and spit some blood on the floor. In the meantime, the black silhouette of the Dark Detective stood silently at the edge of the building. "Go ahead Bats…jump off and I will kill the kids one by one until no one is left and then, I'm gonna go to the nearest school and kill me some more kids…just out of spite!" Joker screamed balefully.

"Thought you didn't want to be called a monster. You're behaving like one now."

"Now I don't give a fuck. I am hurting, bleeding, very upset and either you go and live with the consequences of your decision, or come back right here and give me back my phone." Batman did not respond, just stared intensely to the hunching Clown. The Joker frowned. "YOU THINK I WILL NOT DO IT, BATS? LOU!"

"Sir…?" The thug at the door said.

"BLOW HIS HE…"

"Joker…." Batman interrupted while getting off the ledge and onto the rooftop. " stop. You win."

"Well, congratulations. You just saved one kid's life today." The Joker walked over the Detective and extended a hand. "My phone, please."

Batman returned the iPhone and latched to the Jester's sleeve.

"This is not over."

"You said it, not me," retorted the Joker slamming a concealed crowbar against the Detective's ribcage. Batman fell over on the floor with a scream when a second blow, this time to the head, made his vision tunnel, and he saw sparks in front of his eyes. The Detective wobbled and fell on his side,almost unconscious. "This, by the way, is a re-enactment of a show I did in Ethiopia a few years back: Death of a Robin. Hope you like it..." The Clown let the crowbar land once more over the Knight's back and the man under the cowl, howled in pain. "Please scream some more."

The Joker aimed the crowbar to the Batman's head once more and when he was about to supply the coup-de-grace he redirected the blow, hitting the floor instead where he made a large dent on the concrete. In the floor Batman laid unmoving, breathing very shallowly. Joker ran a nervous hand across his forehead. He needed to control his temper. Lou appeared dragging a small spectacled girl and holding his gun in the other hand. The Clown Prince kicked the Detective softly on the ribcage and the Knight responded with a painful moan.

"Still breathing, chum?" The Jester giggled softly. "You outlasted your partner. Aren't you my lucky Bat?"

"You still want me to snuff her, Boss?" Lou inquired pulling the girl by her uniform.

Joker was breathing heavily as he stared at the Knight on the floor. It took him a moment to realize that Lou was a few feet away by his side. He turned around to look at his henchman who was holding a now terrified girl; her small green eyes glistening full of tears. The Jester walked over to Lou, grabbed the girl roughly by the hand and dragged her with him back to the stairs.

"No, just tie him up and get some help to take him back. We need to split before the cops arrive because all that screaming and gunfire will alert the authorities by now. In the meantime I'm gonna have a little chat with the brats. HURRY UP, LOU.!"

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Robin could not believe his eyes…after so many days with no signal from the Batman, to see those two blips of light on the radar screen, even for a fleeting moment, was a relief. Two blips followed the first two and then nothing more. The signal did not make any sense, but once thing was for sure: it came from the Dark Knight comm. unit. He was not able to exactly pinpoint the location, but he had a 4 mile radius that would narrow the search area.

Tim typed the commands on the computer and the system whirled and beeped turning in the screen to a large map of the city with a large dot on the East End. He tried to blow up into the area with no success. This was how far the trigonometry was going to get him. It was a large area, but hopefully he could cover it fast enough with Gordon's help. Robin opened a phone line.

"Commissioner, this is Robin. I've found him."


	7. Joker's Playmate

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's Note: **_It's amazing...I was checking the statistic on both my stories and this one has received a much warmer reception than Jester did when it began...Thank you all for making this possible. Wish I could correspond the favor with faster posts...but inspiration is not something you can force, so for you all...I'm trying really hard. For now...please enjoy this new installment that was written with a lot of love. Like always. Thanks for your kinds comments, and criticism...keep this writer on her toes. For those new to this story...feel free to leave a piece of your minds...I love hearing from my audience and please lease let me know if you want this story to continue...remember this is my first slash fic...EVER! _

_Disclaimer1: Batman and all related characters are property of DC COMICS (Can somebody please tell them to write more and better Joker stories?)_

_Disclaimer 2: Some scenes WILL CONTAIN MATURE SITUATIONS and LANGUAGE...Please...be adviced...because this Joker...is getting WILD!_

_This chapter had a beta once: LADY EVIL_

_Now enjoy._

**Chapter 7: Joker's Playmate**

Pain. That was the only thing he could think of. Every inch of his body ached with a deep throbbing sting that didn't want to wane, especially on his ribcage and on his back. He felt the shackles pulling him up from the wrists and felt the restraint on his ankles. It hurt to move, it hurt to think, and it hurt just to breathe. Batman opened his eyes that blinked painfully to the intense light that shone on him from above. He tried to stretch, to relieve some of the kinks and knots on his back, but the pain hit him like lighting, forcing him to go limp again.

"Maybe what you need is a back massage, sweetheart. It works wonders for me after you and I clash." Batman heard the Joker's voice in front of him. The Detective raised his head slightly and saw the Jester sitting on a chair in front of him, legs crossed, his hands pressed together on his lips and staring with green eyes that glinted a spark of red rage behind them. The Clown sat silently, just staring at him from his chair.

"You...you tried to kill me, Joker." The Caped Detective let out with a tired, exhausted voice. "You should have finished the job."

"Yeah, the thought crossed my mind more than once." The Jester said rising from the chair and walking slowly toward the bound hero. "I went over so many scenarios on how to just dispose of you once and for all that my imagination just dried out; some of them even make me sick of my stomach and that says a lot. It's unbelievable the things I can come up with." Joker laughed softly.

"Really?" Batman responded coughing softly, trying to ease the pain without much success. "I find that hard to believe. You always come up…with something sick to do."

"Well, you better believe it." Joker started to go around the Batman pacing slowly with his hands clasped behind him. "But, do you want to know what is even more difficult to believe, Batsy? After I planned it all, I just could not force myself to take you out of your misery. Instead, I wanted to excuse your savage attack, my overrated act of violence and just, you know, start with the right foot. Like nothing happened."

"Why?" The detective let out with a painful grunt.

"I can't murder you, because a world without you is an image that terrifies even me. I guess I don't think I could handle the loneliness under such circumstances."

"You've never had…a problem before."

"I know, but I told you I have developed these feelings for you. I…I think I'm in love and that is making me unable to get rid of you. Isn't that funny?" The Clown started to laugh loudly and scratched his ear. "But the thought is still there…like a nail in my brain that my life would be a lot easier if you were just gone, but then who could be my equal? No one on this city is like you and only you can keep up with me."

"Then what are you going to do?"

Joker shrugged. "You know what I wanna do with you…or have you not understood a word of what I have said?"

"About what?"

"About how I feel about you. Part of me is, I don't know if this is the right expression-, but…part of me is sorry I have to keep you by my side like this. I really want to set you free. It will be much more fun, don't you think?"

"Then release me."

"I can't. You'll try to escape again…and I can't risk losing you again, this time for good." Joker said playfully.

"Thought…you would say that." Batman said softly with half a smile.

"Bats, I don't know how else to say this, but you are making things wake up inside me that…I thought have died the day I became the Joker. Yes, at the beginning I found you a nuisance, but now…now is like you are the main act in my show." Joker let out a loud sigh, ran both hand through his green hair, like summer grass, in an attempt to tame the wild curls that had started falling over his eyes. The Batman looked at him with the corner of his eye and then just turned away with an audible snort. "And now that I'm coming straight with you… you ignore me. You know how rude that is?"

The Detective did not utter word at all, not paying attention to the ranting of the Clown a few paces in front of him. He needed to concentrate on the pain, he had to be more powerful than this spraining sensation. He had to remain awake, trying to keep his sanity in this insane world the Joker was trying to pull him to. In the middle of his concentration a sudden pain hit him on the back, in exactly the same place where the Jester had landed the crowbar the night before. The Caped Vigilante tensed against the chain, grimacing in pain, and then saw the slim figure of the Clown Prince of Crime emerging to this right field of vision.

"You're not falling asleep on me, eh sweetheart? I will help you stay awake by any means necessary, even if I have to beat the living daylights out of you. I need you to listen to me first, before we have any more shenanigans like the one last night, okay?"

"Because, no one else will?" retorted the Knight being surprised by a forceful slap on the face.

"Don't play smart ass with me, Bats. I'm not in the mood."

The Knight glared with enough intensity to melt lead. "Is that what you tell Harley all the time?"

"What the fuck are you talking about….why do you bring Harley to this?"

"She's in love with you…"

"She THINKS she is in love with me. It's a totally different point of view on that subject." Joker cackled and held his chin gently on a hand with the other crossed over his chest. "I can give you a thousand and one reasons why that broad does not ring my bell anymore. She's a lot of fun to play with, yes. She has a twisted sense of humor like me and she's utterly insane, but at the end, I'm left in need of much more.

"I need someone as intelligent as me….or at least close. Someone who can challenge me constantly, keep me in my toes, keep my mind in turbo…" The Jester came in closer to the Detective and ran a long bony finger along the delineated abdominal muscles under the fabric left from the armor. Batman tried to move away, but any brusque move produced a knifelike pain that ran along this neck to his lower back and then up again to the base of his skull. The Clown continued moving with his finger up the Knight' back; and the touch elicited sparks of pain and pleasure at the same time. "…as you can see, she doesn't fit the bill one bit."

"But I do…"

"That and more…you make the little clown in me very happy, hungry for you…and your lips." The Joker said from behind the Detective, his lips close to his ear as he voiced a bite, while his finger was waltzing up the muscular arm towards the ceiling.

"I wonder what she would say if she heard you…?"

Joker dropped his hand audibly by his side and grumbled something Batman couldn't understand. He continued walking around, looking into the Knight's deep blue eyes. "Why do you have to spoil the mood talking about her, Bats? I have no feelings for her. I have feelings for you. Stop fighting this. It's gonna be much easier on both of us." The Jester looked into the Detectives blue orbs and opened his mouth in surprised as he arched his green eyebrows. "Gee… I never thought I would say this, but you have beautiful eyes…beautiful blue eyes…like the sky."

"Where is she now?" Batman spat with effort trying to get the Clown's attention from him.

"Who…? The Jester said absentmindedly, his forest green eyes still fixed in the sapphire pupils of the Knight.

"Where is she?"

The Joker blinked and looked around nervously.

"Who, wha-, Harley? I don't know…Last time I saw her she was on a box en route to to see her cousins in Tasmania," Joker noted the strange look on the Knight and couldn't hold a loud guffaw. "I'm joking, I'm joking, OK? She's staying with her red headed Queen of Romaine lettuce…that's all."

"She left you for Ivy. She couldn't take it anymore and—"Batman continued until the Joker turned swiftly and slammed a fist against the Batman's lower abdomen, making him lose his air.

"Told you, I'm not in the mood." Joker said solemnly as he cleared his throat, straightened his green bowtie, pulled down the green vest and adjusted the collar of his purple suit. With a grunt, he walked over the chair he had been sitting on before. "She thought kidnapping children was not very funny so she decided to sit this one out. Difference of opinion, I guess. You like threesomes, Bats?" The Jester said with a wild smile on his face. "I personally would prefer a one on one…you and me, with me on top of course, but if it makes my bat happy, I can be flexible. No more than three on bed though…that would be too much people to pleasure at once."

"I warn you Joker, don't hit me anymore." Batman said precariously while his breathing returned to normal. "And where...are the children. Thought…you wanted an audience?"

"Didn't I tell you? How rude of me." Joker took off his jacket and set it nicely over the chair's backrest. He pulled the cuffs on his shirt to comfortably cover his wrists. "I killed them."

"What?" Batman barked at the Clown, concerned of the tone one the Jester's voice. The Joker in the meantime turned and knelt on the chair reaching for something on the back of the seat. He pulled back from the chair carrying a bag with him from which he removed a sharp army knife. There was some fresh blood on the knife's blade.

"I killed them all." Joker said softly and matter-of-factly as he cleaned the blade against his sleeve. "Don't look at me like that. It's your fault. You made me angry and I needed to release this angerssomehow."

"Joker… they were just children."

"I know…I'll give you some more kids during the week. I promise." Joker looked at the Detective into the eyes, and smiled furtively. "They're cheap, though I personally would not pay a single penny for the brats. They are not as fun to kill as an adult. Now…you can really make an adult scream…I scream. They scream… and soon we all scream for ice cream" The Jester exploded into a maniacal laughter.

"How many innocent lives will have to fall prey of your bloodthirsty games, Joker?"

"How much would it take you to understand that you and I…are meant to be together? Would you ever understand that there can't be a Batman...without a Joker? You live because of me, I exist because of you." The Jester laughed maliciously while he made the blade dance in his hand mischievously. The blade glinted timidly from the light on the ceiling. "Oh well, let's see how much I can teach you in one night…but first…that costume of yours is in the way…"

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Robin had already investigated two buildings in the East end without finding a single clue about the Batman's whereabouts, when he received Gordon's call. The Commissioner had sounded confident that the Joker had been there but at the same time, he sounded really disturbed and that worried Tim.

Tim saw the patrol cars surrounding the four story federalist style building. He parked his bike in front of the old, and rushed in with his cape flapping in the evening breeze. A few officers inside motioned him to go upstairs, where most of the police force had by now gathered. Robin walked over to the core of the building and saw a few officers working on the empty elevator shaft, gathering evidence and running scans over the walls. Tim was about to go up the stairs when he saw Gordon coming down while talking to a few forensic officers and jotting some notes on his notebook. He looked at the young hero from above the rim of his spectacles and dismissed the forensic personnel.

"I came as soon as I received your call, Commissioner."

"We have some indications that Joker might have been here, recently... probably with Batman and his muscle." Gordon answered motioning Robin to follow him. He went down the stairs at the end of the hall, and took one extra flight of stairs to the basement. Gordon showed his credentials and signaled to Robin who immediately followed him.

In the basement there was food scattered all over the floor and restraints for feet and hands were visible against the wall, chained to the wall. There was a small blanket all crumbled on the corner by the restraints. Gordon walked over to the opposite corner of the room and showed Tim the thick pieces of black composite on the floor.

"How long were they here?"

"We suspect for a few days, maybe a whole week. This is where he probably planned the attack on the Mayor's speech. We found boxes of green tomatoes on the basement.

"Any sign of the children?" Tim said holding one of the black pieces in his hand.

"There was ice cream and candy in one of the rooms, and it looked like someone had a food fight in there, but otherwise, we have not being able to find anything else. I need you to identify this for me."

Gordon knelt by the young hero, who had a very concerned look in his face. "Well?"

"These are pieces of Batman's protective armor. They were not supposed to be able to peel off, unless…unless they are heated to extremely high temperatures."

"I'm sorry." Gordon said putting a hand over Robin's shoulder. "Needed to be sure."

"And by peeling the armor…all the circuits inside it were destroyed….including the locating system. Damn. That explains why I couldn't find him before." Dick made a pause to toss the black piece of hardened rubber and rose back up. "Did you find…a body?"

"No, haven't found any remains."

"Joker said in his note that he was having a blast with the kids and Batman. After seeing this, I'm really concerned what is the Joker really doing with them."

"Me too," Gordon said interrupted by a voice through his earphone. "They found blood on the rooftop." Robin rushed up the stairs at top speed, Gordon tried to keep with the young hero the best he could. "We'll be there in a moment, James."


	8. Lessons Taught

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's Note: **_Thank you all for supporting this little story. For those who had pleaded for me to continue...the three muses have smiled at me and enlightened me on the path to follow. Hope you like it, because what I have in store is not for the faint of heart. My Joker is in love and a Clown in love is WILD...Here is just a taste of things to come...so tell me if you are interested in seeing more...criticism is welcomed. Now enjoy._

_Disclaimer 1: Batman and related characters belong solely to DC COMICS_

_Disclaimer 2: Some chapters (like this one) WILL contain MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS and some scenes of EXPLICIT but good taste SEX. Please be warned, reader discretion is adviced._

**CHAPTER 8: LESSONS TAUGHT**

Joker started to go around the Detective, his eyes transfixed in the bound figure, like a predator circles his prey before the final confrontation. The Clown admired the body, stretched by the shackles like the taut strings in a violin, about to be played to produce the most beautiful music human ears have heard. How could this man make him feel like this? What spell did the man under the mask cast on him to make him focus in his enemy, forgetting the world around him as it waited for his great performance? Who wanted to perform for a sad and gloomy city when right in here his madness had faded and his life had a meaning…had a purpose?

A purpose.

For years he had limited himself to kill for the joy of the show. He had laughed at people's miseries and murder, for him, had been a joke he needed to share with the world. Now was different…he did not want to laugh. He did not want to joke around and murder was not funny anymore. He just wanted to feel. His life had been empty until now. Once before he had the world in his hands…including the love of a woman, the real possibility of a family, a place to belong to and in a flashing moment everything came crashing down. The only thing that was left was the Joker and with the Clown, there was not much space for anything else.

Until the Batman came to his life.

He was his first enemy. The first man that he could not control, dominate, nor kill; and with time something in him turned around, unexpectedly and his enemy started to fascinate him. With time the fascination had grown into admiration and finally, to something more powerful, almost as strong as…love. Now he was the center of a tornado of passionate emotions that he was unable to keep under his thumb. He wanted the Bat…he needed the bat, and he knew that the Bat needed him as well.

Deep inside he knew that this beast would be able to fill the hollow space in his soul…would make him whole again. He longed to be complete and to lose himself in someone else's embrace like he did once with his wife. But how could he open the heart of the enemy to the cascade of emotions he was feeling right now? How could he communicate to the man under the cowl, all he was igniting within the Clown's heart and be taken seriously?

Emotions have never been easy for Joker. Feeling something had always been followed by a world of hurting, so one day, he chose to stop feeling. With time…he had forgotten how to feel anything at all. It had been so long since he let himself feel something meaningful and it was even more difficult to put those feelings into words or actions when you had forgotten to speak the language. Even acting on those emotions was difficult when he had forgotten the right behavior.

"Loosen up, Bats," the Joker chirped softly while he kept walking behind him with the large military knife dancing in his hand. "This is not gonna hurt."

"Then why are you carrying a knife?" Batman asked trying to follow the Jester with his eyes. Joker was insane and capable of anything…

"Because I'm a little bit theatrical." The Clown Prince said between giggles putting the sharp edge of the blade against the upper back and pressing hard against the fabric. Batman tensed at the touch and he tried to get away, but Joker steadied the Detective with a firm hand on his shoulder. "I said loosen up…trust me on this one."

The Jester ran the tip of the blade against the skin and down the Batman's back. The Knight quavered softly at the touch. The Jester circled a thin arm around the vigilante caressing softly the firm pectorals while the blade rand down the back once more. Batman felt the Joker's face beside him, breathing in deep, steady breaths. He did then feel the Joker rip the fabric from his back exposing his bruised skin.

"Whoa, that's a nasty one." The Jester said admiring the large purplish red bruise on the Knight's back. He ran a white hand over the bruise, making the Batman cringe of pain.

"I owe that one to you and a crowbar."

"Sorry, it's my uncontrollable temper. Maybe I could make it up to you. Would you like that?"

"I want you to stop what you're doing right now."

"Liar. If you did, you'll fight me harder." The Jester cackled softly.

Joker threw his arms around and held the Batman in his arms rubbing his face softly against the hardened skin of the Knight. He then let go and continued walking around until we could face him at eye level. With the knife's sharp end he pierced the front of the uniform and ran it slowly downwards ripping the front in two symmetrical halves, the blunt end of the blade scraping the skin on his chest and lower abdomen. With his hands, Joker finished ripping the fabric completely, leaving it to hang on each side of his shoulders like flapping wings

"I think my Bat is ready to fly away…above the clouds…to the palace his Jester built just for him…" The Clown Prince purred softly closing in the Detectives face. He was zooming down for the kill.

"Joker…stop." Batman started to say when he felt the blade pressed against his lips. The Joker in front of him giggled childishly.

"Shh impatient little rodent…let an artist do its job…" The Jester brushed his lips against the exposed skin under his cowl and the blade slid down the Bats neck and chest. He brought his lips closer to the Detective's lips, which were now parted, crying out for the Joker's warm blood red lips to make contact, to ignite the bundle of nerves already primed by the caresses. The blade moved down to the bats right nipple and circled it slowly, closing into the sensitive to the center. "Let Leonardo give the final strokes to the Last Supper…Beethoven put the last notes on his symphony. I am… so hungry, aren't you too?"

"Joker…I don't…" The Detective said feebly, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling as if asking for mercy from the heavens… The Jester was making his body betray him. He no longer dictated his emotions, but was instead at the mercy of the touch of those ghostly white hands, and the soft perfume still permeating the Clown's skin and intoxicated him. It was like been in a magic ritual, where the real and the unreal took turns in front of him, confusing his senses.

The blade in the Joker's hand was no longer a murder weapon, but a magic wand that enchanted his whole body into an avalanche of emotions he could not control. Batman felt the Caliph's warm tongue slide down his chest, over the large firm pectorals and finally meeting with the already aching right nipple. "Oh…God…"

How could this monster, who had murder thousands, elicit such delicious emotions? How could this Jester, which rejoiced in the death and misery of his fellow humans, be capable of such tender ministrations? How could he be losing control so easily, without even a fight? How could he be so weak…? He was the Dark Knight, and he was always in control… until now. Now it was different, new feelings took over his body, making him feel things that he had not experienced before, but that the Joker seem to have a degree in showing.

Batman tried to move away when he felt a small hand against his lower back, steadying him. There was no escape. Joker sucked the nipple tenderly, teased it with his tongue, and blew air gently over it making the Caped vigilante tremble like a child in the cold of winter.

Joker moved over the other nipple and then moved slowly down the abdominals with soft wet kisses. The Jester pushed the vigilante's legs apart and placed a hand firmly against the Detective's manhood feeling the entire thickness of his member. Joker was delighted to see it had started to harden under his touch.

"I think this little bird wants to leave the nest and be free." The Joker said laughing blithely. "Shall I release him, Bats?" The Detective just looked at the Clown silently pleading him to stop with his eyes…his beautiful blue eyes.

The Clown Prince continued caressing the abdominal muscles with his lips, sucking softly against the fair skin in each kiss; his other hand scraping down the back gently, causing the Detective to cringe. Joker rose and pushed Batman against him, his right leg between the Knight's and his hand firmly massaging the bulge inside the Batman's pants that responded deliciously by enlarging and hardening slow and steadily. The Clown was delighted, like a child playing with his favorite toy, his face barely inches from the Knights, feeling the short, warm breaths against his pasty face.

"Joker…S-stop." Whispered Batman against his chains, his head pulled upwards as if gathering strength to speak. Why was so difficult to concentrate and regain control? "The children…"

"Shhh…the children will not interrupt us." The Jester said bringing his lips closer. He licked them as if savoring the vigilante's sweet musk in the air.

"The children…" The Knight gasped. He needed his anger…the only thing that kept him focused. Anger. Anger at the loss of innocent lives to a homicidal maniac. "…you killed the children."

"I know, darling."The Jester said looking into the Batman's eyes. The deep blue eyes sparkling back at him with desire and conflict. Delicious… This was the Detective's most difficult battle yet. The one between his heart and his mind. Joker's smile widened as he came closer to the Knight's sweaty face and pressed his face against his, whispering close to the ear. "But let's not talk of what I did in the past…let's talk about what am I'm gonna do to you…now."

"You killed innocent children, Joker you're a—"

"Very crafty Clown, I know. Look how I'm making you sweat under my touch."

"You're a perverted son of a-."

Joker pressed a slender finger against the Knight's lips. "Shhh, you're not convincing anybody, darling."

Joker met the Batman's lips and pressed them strongly against him, his tongue exploring the immediate vicinity playfully. They both kissed long and hard. The Clown Prince circled a hand around the Knight's torso. The knife still in his hand was just held between his thumb and index, and the Joker let it fall to the floor while he dug his nails against the broad shoulder muscles as he pressed against the Knight.

The Jester let go of the vigilante's lips tenderly, tugging softly at the lower lip for a brief moment. He stared into the two blue sapphires looking back at him with resentment and smiled maliciously. He pulled away and backed off a few paces, admiring the bound body with complacence.

"Did you feel that…lover boy?" The Jester said running a white hand down his mouth and his chin sensually. His smile was gone now, at least his happy, joyful smile that normally adorned his face and in its place there was a mockery of a grin that darkened the Clown's face. "I had you…under my grip…and I just kissed you. I stole a kiss from the Dark Knight." Joker giggled softly just for a brief moment, returning to his sulk veneer. "Did you feel that…?"

Batman stared silently at the clown with a combination of resentment and relief. Joker paced in front of the Detective for a long time, grumbling and giggling intermittently to himself and abstracted from the world around him. He finally came to stop and rest his hands over the back of the chair he had used before. The look in his eyes was one of the confusion rather than amusement.

"The only thing I feel is disgust, Joker. You're one sick man."

"No no no. I could hear you gasping. I felt you shivering under my touch. You and I…connected and you definitely liked what I was doing to you. Don't deny it."

Batman refused to give in into the madman's arguments. True he had something spark inside him, something that he had not felt in a long time and that he knew screamed for more of that magical touch, but accepting this in front of the Jester was accepting his failure at his holy mission. He opted for silence.

"You know your silence betrays you, right? You really must've felt that." Joker said glaring perversely from behind the chair. No answer, the eyes lacking guilt or yearning for what he had made sure sprouted from the tender ministration. He was being ignored and in frustration, let out a furious growl. "Answer to me!"

Joker lifted the chair from the floor and held it a few inches from the floor, stopped, and then set it down softly only to hold it angrily between his hands again and send it flying across the room with a growl. The purple jacket on the back flew a few feet in the air then hit the floor, while the chair smashed against the wall with the wood scattering all over the floor.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you…damn it!" Joker said as his voice became grave. He started to walk slowly towards the Detective pointing an accusing finger at the Knight. "I know you felt something. I heard you gasping. I felt you shuddering under my touch…and you, Mr. Bat, were getting a hard-on."

Batman remained silent. His own mind was turmoil of thoughts and contraindications. He was beaten and guilty. He had been seduced by this murderous clown, forced to relinquish the control of his senses to the erotic caresses and he had sinfully enjoyed them, but this Joker was not happy of this triumph. He looked frustrated and angry…and an angry Joker was extremely dangerous.

The Jester slapped Batman squarely on the face. "You ingrate! I gave you a wonderful gift and how do you repay me?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you Clown?"

"Enjoy it? No, I'm not. You gasped, you shivered under my touch, your body was begging for more, but I did not feel any satisfaction. Why? This is what I wanted. This is what I've dreamed about ever since you and I met, to have you in my grasp, and for what?"Joker was huffing furiously. "I am not satisfied. This is not what I had expected. It just…doesn't feel right. What am I missing?"

"Yourself." Batman said softly.

Joker opened his bright green eyes wide with surprise. This was not an answer he was expecting. "What…did you just…say?"

"Yourself. You're not here Joker. Your madness is. You're showing off your power like a child. You bully your way into things without any consideration to others, but you're heart is empty."

"I am not empty."

"You can't give anything back, because you don't have anything to give in return." Batman's voice sounded tired and defeated.

"I don't understand."

"That's the problem. You talk about love, but I doubt that you know what that means. Your madness fogs your judgment. You're delusional. This thing you claim to feel...is not real. Nothing in your life has ever been real, has it? "

"THIS IS REAL!"

"It's not." Batman tried catching his breath. "You replace your failures and make up the rest to your liking. You're replacing your isolation with a sense of acceptance. This is not real."

Joker opened his mouth to reprise but nothing came out. For once the great Clown Prince of Crime was at a loss of words. He looked at the Detective bewildered by the strange words that did not made any sense to him. He wanted this Bat to make him whole…and he thought, no…he knew he cared for him. Why would he otherwise kept him alive this long after he captured him. Why would he have worried that the Bat was not eating or drinking?

"NO!" Joker spat back angrily. He could not be making up the loneliness that only vanished when the Knight was with him. He could not be making up the emptiness only this beast seemed to fill. "It is you who lives a fantasy. You believe to have an answer to every single question. You're positive you understand the world. It is you who is delusional and frame the world according to your absolute idea of justice. Of right and wrong."

There was a loud knock at the door and Lou stormed in dragging with him one of the Kiwanis kidnapped. Lou looked all flustered and close to kill someone, while the chubby kid with the fair hair resisted the grip. Joker liked the look on Lou and smiled softly.

"Boss. We got a problem. The kids are hungry and complaining. This one has even starting investigating the arsenal." Lou said lifting the protesting kid by the arm.

"You…you did not kill the kids?" Batman said not able to contain his surprise. "You…lied."

"Of course I lied…isn't that what I do all the time?" The Jester purred softly with a smirk while walking over where his jacket had fallen. "You wanted me to lie…so yes, I lied. Sue me."

Joker picked up his jacket and put it back on and headed out of the room stopping momentarily by Lou. He whispered some instructions to the thug's ear and then grabbed the kid by the collar, pushing him in front of him. The Jester kept talking as he walked away from the room. "Is his new home ready? Good…and make sure he eats this time…."

Lou entered the room and walked over to the far left corner where there were a few boxes stashed disorderly and started to search in them. It didn't take Batman much to know what Lou was searching for, the sprayer with Crane's formula. The Detective tugged the chain holding him up. He didn't want to get gassed again, because the gas was starting to affect his mind. How could he succumb to the Joker's touch? What kind of damage had already caused in his brain that made him enjoy the sexual abuse the Clown was forcing him go through?

Batman was at a loss. He had trained for so many years. Gone through so many privations during his lifetime to gain complete control of his body and had lost all power over his in less than a few hours. How was that possible? Crane's gas. That had to be it. The gas had to have clouded his mind and…but he had enjoyed the ministrations. Could that be a side effect of the gas? No, it couldn't be, because he had not inhaled any gas in over two days, and he had found out that the gas effects only seemed to linger for eight hours after he woke up. But then…this gas had not been tested. God…what if this was something he let himself feel because he wanted it. He shook his head…don't even wanted to get there.

The Knight tried to take a deep breath, but the ribs still hurt from last night. He felt so dirty, so contaminated by the Joker, and at the same time he wished the Jester would not have stopped playing with his body. He had never felt like this with a woman before. This was new, and he had discovered py at the hands of his worst enemy. How could he live with that knowledge now? How could he face the world with the memory of this night?

Lou put a gas mask on and grabbed the large canister with Crane's modified gas. The thug walked over and sprayed the fine mist in front of the Batman and the world started to morph around him into menacing shapes. One of the shapes was slim and tall, towering over three stories high. On top of the dark shape he could see something white…half moon shaped. It was a smile, a very large smile. The large shadow started to laugh hysterically and that shrilly laugh reminded him of the Clown.

He tried to pull away from the menacing shadow, but he couldn't move too far while still bound to the ceiling. The large smiling shadow opened his arms as if in an embrace and fell over the Detective like a tsunami, covering him completely in a mantle of darkness. He heard voices, many voices, but they were all very distant and spoke in a language he could not understand. Batman felt so tired, he just wanted to go to sleep, the shadow could do whatever it wanted, and he didn't care anymore. Then all was gone and he went limp on the chains.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Your tea, Master Tim." Alfred said setting the tray with the teapot and the cups by the batcomputer. Robin sat at the console looking at the main screen where he had been perusing a police file on the Joker. He was munching on a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich between note taking information from the file. "Master Tim?"

"Oh, thanks Alfred." Robin said taking a mouthful of his sandwich.

"I see you are still working on the Joker file…"

"It's an extensive file Alfred. I'm trying to check information I have on his old hideouts. I'm sure he crawled back to one them. He is dragging twelve children and an adult. He needs to keep them in a place he knows and can control. "

"And he will need an army of thugs to keep the Batman down."

"I'm a little concerned about that. The police identified blood on the roof of the last place the Joker had been hiding and the forensic reports ID one of the samples as belonging to Joker. The other is unknown and I'm guessing it's Bruce's."

"Oh, my. Couldn't we…run our tests to confirm?

"Spoke with Gordon about that. He recommended keeping a low profile about the blood samples because if the public knows we might have possible DNA on Batman, there is going to be a manhunt to put a name on that DNA."

"Understandable, but it will still be good to know." Tim said as he continued getting notes on his electronic pad.

"I feel the same way, but it will be better to follow Gordon's advice. Besides, if Joker would have killed Batman, the clown would have let us know by now." Tim set his pen and sandwich down for a moment. "I think we need reinforcements. I feel that it's getting out of my hands."

Robin made a pause and let out a defeating sigh. "I can believe we were so close this time…"


	9. Riddles and Memories

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's note:** _Just wanted to apologize for my delay in posting...don't worry...I'm not leaving you guys hanging. Well, the reason for my delay was a combination of writer's block, work exhaustion, and personal matters. Add a little bit of salt to taste and you get a big hole in your imagination...I'm slowly recovering, THANK GOD! so I should be posting more often...Now, about this chapter...after you guys got a little bit of spice in the previous installment (which I hope you guys liked) I decide to tone down the story and damn!...this Joker is too horny for his own good. Beware though...because Joker is about to make a turn for the worse...or is it the better...HMMMM? Well, anyways, I hope you like this little chapter which was written with great love for all the fans out there. Thanks for your support, and let me hear you...this story if for you, so it is fair I take your comments into consideration. Criticism is welcome as long as it's well intentioned and please no flames...If you like my psychotic, horny, sadomasochistic, underloved Joker...please raise your hands and let your voice be heard..._

_This Chapter had a beta once: LADY EVIL_

Disclaimer 1: Batman and all related characters are owned solely by DC COMICS

Disclaimer 2: Some scenes WILL contain MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS as well as some EXPLICIT SEX so reader's beware...

**CHAPTER 9: RIDDLES AND MEMORIES…**

Joker stood in front of the large curio in his office organizing all the small clown figurines he had in it. In his hands he held the figure or a tramp clown, dressed in tattered costume and a sad face with tearful eyes. The collection had been started by Harley some years ago, and she had been doubling the collection each year ever since, either buying the pieces on line or just stealing them from wherever she saw them. The Clown Prince had always hated the collection and had told Harley it was a waste of time, but he had let her keep it, because a busy Harley would be too occupied to pester him. Still he didn't understand the whole point of the collection... why collect stupid figures, when she had the greatest clown in the whole world already under the same roof?

Now that he thought of that, he wondered how many people would like to add his figurine to their collections. There were a lot of collectors out there and if they collected a lot of these stupid clowns that weren't even real people, he could make a killing providing the ultimate clown sculpture for the collectors. Wouldn't everybody want to own the figure of the most renowned psychotic clown in history...? HMMMM...That was indeed an interesting business venue to follow, but not now. He had other things to think about.

And then he thought of the Bat in the basement. Again. Holding to the tramp clown figure he walked back to his desk letting himself heavily on the thick and rich leather seat.

All he had been able to do since this afternoon was to think about the Dark Knight. He grabbed the figurine of the sad clown dressed in his tramp clothes and thought of what it must feel to be a clown and still feel like wanting to cry in the inside. He had the Detective at his mercy, forced him into the darkness of the forbidden, and he could not rejoice. Actually he did not felt anything at all. It was as if it was not enough. What did he have to do to fulfill his loneliness, to fill his world of the same passion he had triggered in his enemy?

Wasn't there supposed to be something for him too? He laughed at the irony. He wanted the Bat to fulfill his life, and now he felt emptier than ever. WHY? He asked himself over and over again in his head. Why was pleasure banned from his life? He deserved to be happy too, didn't he? Hell, he deserved everything in the whole wide world.

"_Because you are not here, just your madness_-he says…" Joker said softly still staring at the sad eyes of the figurine. "I was there, could he not see me?" He flung the figurine against the wall with all his might where it smashed in a thousand pieces. Releasing the anger felt good. "WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THAT?"

He had kept him safe when he could have killed the Bat right on the spot at that construction site; he could have starved him to death in a basement when he refused to eat, but instead he would have tried to offer the bat anything to entice his appetite. Why was that not enough to show that he cared? He even went to the extent of explaining to him his feelings in the hope that the Detective would understand and still the rodent had the nerve of saying that he couldn't give back because there was nothing there to give. It was just an illusion forged of his obsessive madness. But could he be making up the empty hole on his chest as well? Why would he want to create a reality where he felt miserable and downtrodden?

"THAT MY LIFE IS NOT REAL?" He yelled grabbing two of the figurines he had just neatly placed inside the curio moments before and smashing them against the floor. "WHY DOES HE TALK TO ME IN RIDDLES?"

"Puddin'..? My…clowns." A voice said by the door where he saw Harley holding tightly to the doorframe with wide terrified blue eyes looking at him. He looked at the two smashed clowns at his feet and looked at her apologetically, forcing a smile. He had always had a problem with his temper and he knew that one day it will come to haunt him. Harley rushed towards the curio and pushed the Jester away checking the remaining figures inside carefully as a protecive mother looks over her kids. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing….I just lost my temper, Harley. That's all." Joker said shrugging and walking to his desk. "And weren't you supposed to be staying with Pammy Green Thumb?

"We…we got busted by the police. Was too risky now to be seen together," Harley said looking at the mess of ceramic on the floor. "But my clowns…why my clowns, Mistah J?

"Oh, grow up, Harley. It's just a bunch of ceramic figures you can probably buy again from ebay or something and it is not like you haven't seen me in a foul mood before."

"But those were my clowns," Harley riposted angrily holding one of the figurines against her bosom tenderly. Joker grimaced...she was caring for those clowns as if she had given birth to them. Harley advanced a few steps towards him. "Why not your Laurel and Hardy video collection? Why did it have to be my clowns?"

"First, I was actually fixing those stupid clowns when I lost it. It was not planned. Second, figurines, contrary to movies, smash nicely against walls and make it a lot more rewarding, and lastly…my Laurel and Hardy collection is a destroy it senselessly in a temper tantrum?" Joker shrugged smugly.

"Because it's yours…" Harley fumed, while her blonde pigtails bounced agitatedly. "You can't go on destroying other people's property just because you lose your temper."

"And since when have you become the protector of the people...or clowns, Ms. Quinn? I hope you are not thinking of switching sides now." The Jester pointed a white, thin finger to his chest. "You are my Harley…my Harley Quinn. MINE!"

"Your Harley…" She forced a smile amidst the tears. "If only you meant it, but you-. I'm not a person to you, just another one of your suits, right? You cannot care" Harley's blue eyes glistened and she busted in sobs while still holding one of the clowns against her chest.

The Clown Prince was going to issue a remark on the subject when he heard the last words from Harley's voice. They were an echo of the Detective's words. His eyes became tiny and resentful, and Harley backed off a few paces. "What… what did you…just said?"

"I'm…I'm sorry pudding but-," Harley said between sobs and holding to the curio while tears continued to fall down her cheeks. "But sometimes it seems like you just don't care for what I feel."

"I'm getting that a lot lately. You think I don't care about you?"

"It surely seems that way sometimes, Pooh." She said timidly putting the clown back into the curio.

Joker smiled wide and jumped over the desk in his office, crossing his legs playfully. Maybe Harley knew something he didn't…maybe the blonde bimbo was able to figure this great conundrum. Now…that would be funny. "And would you like to tell this old Clown why you think I don't care for you…or anybody else for that matter?"

Harley looked at him suspiciously.

"You're asking me what now?

"Well, you say I don't care…just tell me what I can do to improve on that. It's not that I'm an insensible monster, nor I am not willing to change my ways, you know?" Joker cocked his head tenderly to the side.

Harley stared at him with a dumbfounded look and the mouth gape open. This is the first time she had heard the Joker speak like that. She blinked several times and wiggled a finger into her ears to make sure what she was seeing and hearing was real.

"Ok. What planet do you come from… and what did you do with my puddin'?" Harley finally said to the grinning clown sitting on the desk glaring angrily and putting her hands over her hips.

"Oh Harley…" Joker purred softly with a chuckle. "I can't certainly be that alien to you, can I?"

"You're…just different."

"I know," Joker said lowering his eyes timidly. "I've never felt like this before… think I'm in love or something. Oh well, you haven't answer my question, _senorita_...how can I prove you that I care?"

"Pooh, did you just say you're in love?"

"Yeah…it's a funny feeling…deep inside, but what I need to know how to…"

"Mistah J.…that is…the sweetest thing I've heard you say in a long time." Harley said walking away from the curio and a large smile on her face. "You really mean it?"

"I'm almost positive…but I've been accused of not able to give back. Whatever the hell that means." Joker said sadly as he jumped off the table and rested against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

Harley rushed playfully toward the Jester, stopping a few feet from the Clown and leaning over to meet his deep green eyes that were now staring to the ground.

"Oh. I didn't mean that…It's just that… sometimes, you are so self-centered that you think you're the only man in the world."

Joker lifted an eyebrow. "I'm the only man in my world. The rest of the planet doesn't really matter."

"See, that's what I meant. You think you're alone, but you're not."

"Nobody cares if I live or die…nobody gives a damn about what I have to say, nobody wants to see things from my point of view. Hell, nobody laughs at my jokes anymore. Of course I'm alone…." The Clown Prince said waving his hands all around him.

Harley advanced few steps towards the Joker. "You're wrong, puddin'. There are people out there who care for you."

"Like?" The Jester said dryly as he eyed her suspiciously.

Harley's heart sank, and her eyes sparkled with sadness. "Me, for once… and I'm sure there is a Joker fan club with a website and everything. And they worship you."

"A website…" The Clown Prince said laughing softly.

"Yeah…I can see it...in neon colors…**Clown Prince of Crime dot com**…with probably thousands of followers. You're not the greatest criminal mastermind of all times for nothin', you know Puddin'?"

The Jester stared at her silently for a moment. He didn't know if he should laugh or just stay serious. This blonde was more out of synch with reality than he thought.

"Wake up from your cloud Harley" Joker said disdainfully and resting his chin on a white crooked finger. "….the only website I have is the one at the police station and my fans all wear blue and carry a badge, and they are an angry crowd. Even as crazy as I am, I know that, though having my own site is an interesting thought…hmmm."

"But I care, Mistah J…" Harley came eye to eye with Joker, his green eyes staring into the two blue gems in the Harlequin's face. She sported a broad smile, and was swift on putting her arms around the Jester's neck. Those eyes…there was something about those eyes, he thought…why did he feel so comfortable looking at those blue eyes? She puckered her lips and stared at him with wide sad puppy eyes. "Does that count for something?"

"I don't know. You said I didn't care."

Harley put a finger softly over the Joker's lips. "You said you were in love…"

"I know what…" The Jester's words got interrupted when Harley pressed her lips against his. Joker pulled back only to be pushed against her by a tender hand on the back of his neck. Harley moaned softly pressing herself against him, as if she wanted to meld both bodies into one single entity, making this kiss last forever. Then something very strange happened, something the Clown Prince couldn't explain...

Joker at the beginning did not understand, but he moved his arms unconsciously around her in a strong embrace. He felt compelled to do it by an unknown force. Thoughts of why this had happened or how, were not important as the fact that it had happened. The only things that mattered were those two blue eyes that longed for him. Blue eyes like his mother's, like the Batman…like…her. The Jester turned Harley around to have her against the table, the two of them still intertwined in that long kiss.

Harley let go softly of those ruby lips and giggled childishly, this was her wildest dream come true.

"That…what you wanted, pumpkin?" She said softly lowering her gaze timidly at the impressive green emeralds looking at her. Joker did not speak. He just lifted her onto the table and kissed her once more, his hands sliding up and down her shoulders and her chest, feeling the firm and round breasts tenderly between his hands. The Clown Prince closed his eyes, and in his mind's eye, fog started to clear up, like a smokescreen dissolved by the wind and amidst the fog he saw a face, a beautiful round face with sapphires for eyes that sparkled of lust and desire. The round face was framed by beautiful reddish brown hair that fell like a coppery cascade down her ivory shoulders.

He ran his face against the porcelain face in front of him. It felt good to have that soft, fair skin against his. Her sweet perfume violated his nostrils, and invaded his brain. The perfume was sugary, young and it reminded him of cotton candy. He loved cotton candy. He wanted to taste the cotton candy. Joker's mouth ran down the golden haired woman's neck, tasting and savoring the sweet skin on his way down to the shoulders.

He held the beautiful face in his thin chalky hands and kissed her tenderly again on the mouth. His lips ran down the slender neck in all its length tasting the sweet cotton candy of her skin, and she responded with soft moans that reminded him of cooing doves.

"Is my nightingale ready to take flight with her emperor?" Joker purred against her chest, as he inhaled the sweet fragrance of her perfume and carefully started to unbutton Harley's shirt to expose her large breasts bound by a black satin laced bra, asking him to join in this game.

"Oh…Mistah J…" Harley whispered between gasps.

"Don't call me that, love…call me Jack… just call me Jack." Joker responded as he ran playful hands around her breasts, covering them in wet kisses. He felt a hand by his waist, undoing his belt and the zipper of his pants. In a swift movement he got rid of the jacket of his purple tuxedo and pulled on the green bowtie letting it fall beside him. Tender hands quickly started to undo his green vest and his yellow shirt. Those same tender hands started to play with his pale chest. That tickled, and he couldn't stop giggling. He got a hold of those tender hands on his chest and held them firmly against his heart.

"Puddin'...why do you…?" Harley whispered.

Joker mouth found her lips once more and he savored the kiss like it was his first meal after a long fast. He was hungry. He needed those lips, that touch, that love as much as he needed to breath. He let go of those lips for a moment only to find the bronzed haired woman smiling at him. What was her name? He had to know her. There was no way a woman could make him feel like this if he did not know her…very well. Then from the blackness of his memory a name came to his lips.

"Jean…Jeannie." The Jester said filling her face with soft sweet kisses.

"Puddin…you've never …called me that." Harley said in short breaths as two white hands relieved the firm round breasts from their laced prison and caressed them tenderly. She giggled. "But maybe I can grant you a wish if you rub my lamp."

"Make love to me…" Joker whispered lovingly to her ear as he pushed her back gently onto the table, while he stood between her legs. He ran long fingers down her chest to her stomach and finally to her small waist. He leaned over and kissed her around her navel speaking in a soft pleading voice. "Make me feel alive again…Jeannie. Make me feel, please. I've been so lonely without you."

He heard the woman laugh. He remembered that laughter. It echoed in his memory along with the images of the brown haired woman in a park, by his side. She was laughing then, enjoying one of his silly performances. He loved to see her smile. "_Stop Jack, I can't laugh anymore." _He remembered her crystalline voice say to him in the park. "_Do you ever take anything seriously…even for a moment?"_ The memory continued to play in his mind like a movie in vivid color. He could see the green and browns of the trees in autumn, smell the sweet perfume of her skin, and he could hear the whistling wind among the bushes, like fairies hidden in the greenery singing to the passing lovers. _"Why should I, love, _he remembered having said_, Life is just a big joke and the only serious thing in my life is you."_ He felt two hands wrap themselves around his neck and a hand gently caressing the back of his head. Then he heard the laughter again.

But this laughter was different. He looked at his lover's sapphire eyes and realized that she was smiling but not laughing. Where was that laughter coming from? It was not a happy laughter. It was more of an evil maniacal creature, making fun of everything including him. He looked around nervously…he did not want anybody to spoil this moment and that laughter was starting to making him nervous.

He tried to create some distance between Jeannie and him, but he couldn't move; he felt as if something was holding him in place. This was not right. Jeannie still looked at him, but she seemed to have frozen in time. Her blue orbs had lost their luster and instead something evil seemed to spark from inside them. The laughter was now very close, almost beside him.

"Something wrong, puddin'?" Joker heard a voice from the bushes. It was an alien voice, a hush among the leaves.'

"Whose there?" he asked to the bushes without obtaining a response. In the meantime the sweet smile in Jeannie's face had turned into a macabre grin, unusually wide and deformed. Her blue eyes were now glowing with a malignant green flame, and the color on her face was gone. She looked white as a ghost. He knew where that smile came from, because he had seen it countless times before, in front of a mirror. He continued trying to break the lock Jeannie had on him unsuccessfully.

"Jean…don't let him take you." Joker said with trepidation in his voice. "Don't listen to him."

"_Why isn't my old friend Jack…_" He heard Jeannie say, but no with her voice, but a high falsetto. She busted into that hysterical laughter. Joker grabbed the two hands around him and with a superhuman effort pushed them off him. He heard someone protest in pain, but he ignored it. _"Forgotten about me so soon, boy? Smile for me again…handsome."_

The hands tried to wrap around him again, but he held them tightly in his. He pushed Jeannie hard onto the ground and sat on top of her forcing those menacing white cold hands against the pavement. He turned around nervously, as if expecting something to attack him at anytime from anywhere. Then by a juniper he saw the shadow of a tall, thin man with a large white smile and eyes that that glowed as if they were on fire. The sinister figure waved at him.

"Puddin' stop…you're hurting me." He heard the wind say, while the woman he loved squirmed like a snake and laughed crazily at the top of her lungs. "LET ME GO!"

"Jeannie…fight it" Joker said pinning down the squirming woman.

He heard another rustle of leaves and a black and grey shadow leaped from a nearby bush onto the grinning figure. The two figures wrestled on the floor fiercely, like two lions fighting for a lioness in heat. He heard grunts and growls, fists hitting flesh with the force of a sledgehammer. Then, as suddenly as it had started, there was calm and from the floor rose the black and grey figure. He could see him now. He was as tall as a giant, his broad shoulders were covered by a tight black cloak and his face was hidden underneath a mask…no…a cowl with two pointy ears on top. The man in the cowl was now staring at him, his eyes, glowing like two sapphires at him. He forgot about everything around him, the only important thing were those blue orbs looking at him.

"You're safe now." The figure said almost as a growl. You. Are. Safe. He wanted to be safe from God knows when, and this man had made it possible. He didn't know who this man was but he made him feel…cared for. He had come to protect him from the grinning monster. He was here for him. Something in his chest jumped and rattled. It was as if his heart had jumpstarted after a long time of inactivity. He felt warm. He felt loved. No one had ever been there for him like this…

The figure turned around and started to leave.

"Please…don't go…" He said to a whisper and the figure stopped. All the imagery in the park slowly started to dissipate, like smoke. "I need you."

"And you need to be here and only when you let go of the pain, you can give yourself in." The figure responded as he slowly dissipated, like fog in front of his eyes. Once it was gone, he felt a large hole in his chest.

"PUDDIN'…I SAID…STOP!" The squealing voice startled him. The high pitch, squeaky voice was very close to him. The park scene disappeared completely and in its place he saw the lavender walls of his office. He was sitting on top of Harley, half naked over the desk, pinning her hands against the table. She was fighting hard to release herself from his grasp.

"Harley?" He said softly trying to regain his composure. What the hell was he doing? "Harley…what just happened, get away from me you slut!"

He let her go of her hands and jumped off the table, falling unsteadily on his feet. Harley grabbed her shirt shut and rolled over the desk to the opposite side away from Joker. Her eyes stared angrily at the Jester, as they filled with tears. She panted heavily, and held to the desk for support.

"What's wrong with you? What was all that about?" Harley squealed again with obvious frustration in her voice. "You said you needed me...but you were hurting me. WHY? She extended a daring hand across the desk trying to reach the Clown.

"I don't know… You, you started this…you kissed me." The Jester wiped his mouth, spit out and frowned. He backed off a few steps to avoid the contact with her hand.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME! You forced me to do this, you evil witch! What the hell were you thinking forcing yourself on me?"

"But…but…isn't this what you wanted? Harley said apologetically.

"Wanted? What made you think I wanted to have sex with you…of all people?" Joker let out a loud cackle and glared at her. He could read the resentment on her eyes. Those words must have hit her very low. "I just wanted you to tell me why you thought I was not caring enough…not this. Now get out of my office! "

"You said you were in love, puddin'…I thought…"Quinn held up a sob. "And I did not force myself on you. This is not my fault! You kissed me first."

"I don't care!" Joker slammed both hands angrily against the table. "And didn't you hear me? GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE, NOW!"

"Ohhh, I HATE YOU! IHATEYOUIHATEYOUIHATEYOU!" Harley spat furiously, with a fierce growl. She walked past the Jester without even looking at him and then stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her.

Everything was silent for once and Joker thank God for the silence. Sweet silence. What the fuck had just happened? The last thing he remembered was talking to Harley about him not caring when the next thing that he knows he is laying over a half naked Harley. How could he get that far? And that memory…that memory left him with a sour aftertaste on his mind and a hole in his soul.

The Jester knew what that hallucination had meant. The woman in his vision was no other that his dead wife, the woman who pulled him from the abyss of his criminal life and offered him hope. The only other person who loved him for what he was, with his virtues and his vices, but she died to soon living him empty once more deep inside.

The world turned inside out and he lost his sanity when confronted that he had lost his only anchor to the real world. Before living without her, best to let himself be engulf by the darkness, forget how to feel, because that would mean to suffer once more, to be alone once again. And he lived in his imaginary world of murder and deadly jokes, until he met him.

Yes, the Batman probably hated him, but at the same time seemed to understand him. It was as if both had been cut from the same tree, and shared one thing in common but what? The pain…the solitude, Joker thought as he tried to imagine of another reason why a man would turn and dress up like a flying mouse and terrorize half of the Gotham underground. This man was very angry…for reasons he could yet understand. Just as angry as he himself and probably as empty. He was, deep inside, just too much like himself.

The Clown Prince of Crime ran weary white hands though his green bushy hair. Was this why it hurt to cause him harm? But what else could he do…if it was the only thing he knew how to do well. Hurt others. Make the world more miserable than what the world had made him. Could there be more and he could just not see it? Maybe he was missing part of the picture and that make life lost all his fun.

Joker covered his face with his hands. There was something really wrong with him and he had no idea on how to fix it. He could not live like this… He had survived this long not feeling anything and playing with everything, including other people's lives, but right now playing like this was not fun. He was definitely not enjoying this.

He had to stop thinking. Thinking was spoiling his mood. He needed a laugh. Yes…laughter always made him feel better. He needed some time off, away from all these unhappy feelings.

The door screeched loudly. Harley must have wrecked the hinges when she slammed it on her way out. He heard footsteps coming towards him, and after removing the hands from his face saw the thick, scarred face of Punch looking down at him with concern.

"You OK, Boss?" The large man said peering gingerly closer to the Jester. "Heard a ruckus and…"

"Have I ever told you…that life's a bitch?" retorted the Clown Prince not paying attention to his henchman's concerned words.

Joker started to laugh but he didn't see the joke anymore and he stopped.

"Boss you need me to get you somethin'? You don't look good and you sound even worse."

"Tell me a joke, Punch. Make me laugh" Joker said resting his hands over his knees. "I think I have missed the punchline of life this time."

"Excuse me boss?" The thug's voice sounded nervous. "You OK?"

Joker smiled at the blank expression on Punch's face as he got up and buttoned his shirt. "No, I'm not OK, but don't worry big guy. I'm working on it."

The thug leaned over and held the Jester by an arm and helped him stand. Joker dusted his clothes and started to button his vest and buckled his pants.

"You were supposed to watch over the kids." The Clown Prince said eyeing the thug angrily. "Who did you leave with the brats?"

"Daniel and Herman are watching them. The kids are not doing much, just making fun of the birthday boy."

"What birthday boy?" Joker asked curiously.

"Today is one of the kids birthday. The tall nerdy one with the green shorts. They're making fun of him."

Joker's eyes sparkled. A birthday. A birthday meant a party. He loved parties. He felt himself giggling happily. "Really?"

"Yeah, mean kids. They're calling him retarded and stuff. You know the kid looks older than what he is."

"A birthday calls for a party, don't you think, Punch?" Joker said patting the thug on the shoulder as the man looked at him suspiciously. "Let's us have ourselves a party. I need to laugh a little, and a party is gonna do just fine" Joker started to laugh hysterically. "That's right. A party…parties are a lot of fun. Go prepare everything for the party, money is not an issue. Just…make it a lot of fun."

"You want a party for the fat boy?"

"Why not. The kid is one of our guests is he not?" Joker straightened his clothes. "Just go get a cake and some balloons. Oh, and don't forget the ice cream. Kids love ice cream."

Punch nodded suspiciously but did not dare challenge the Boss' decision, knowing what he was capable of so he just turned around and left the room. The Clown Prince did the final touches to his now proper outfit. He grabbed the jacket of his tuxedo from the floor and shook it. With a swift movement he swung it over his shoulder and walked out of the room whistling a tune.


	10. Partyman

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note**. Hello friends...back with a new chapter in this intricate story. My apologies for the delay, but work, along with major rewriting of Path of the Jester and other little nuisances have kept me away from the keyboard for a while. Hope the wait was worth it...and for those of you waiting for Jester...there is going to be a chapter up soon. Please bear with me. In the meantime I leave you with my little piece of mind...hope you like it. Remember...I love reviews...good or bad...just want to hear from you all..._

_Disclaimer 1: Batman and related characters are property solely of DC COMICS (and God, they are finally doing justice to the Clown Prince of Crime...)_

_Disclaimer 2: This story deals with adult, mature subjects...so it will contain MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATION as well as scenes of EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT and NUDITY. Reader discretion is adviced._

**Chapter 10: Partyman**

The children were screaming at the top of their lungs, running around like crazy banshees and throwing frosting and jelly beans at each other. Between the video games they had played all day, and the sugar rush caused by all the candy, cake, and soda available at the party, the children were literally wild.

Punch and Lou along with two other henchmen, had quit making the kids calm down and had limited themselves to keep the room as clean as possible, picking up after the children. It had been a palling task with close to a dozen children out of control, but it was worth if it will keep the children away from Joker who sat sulkily in a corner of the room, all by himself, playing absentmindedly with his piece of cake, that he had not even tasted yet. That was extremely odd, since the Jester literally loved birthday cake, especially if it was marble cake with cream frosting…

Lou couldn't recall a time when he had seen Joker so sad like this. Actually, he couldn't recall a moment when the Joker had looked so depressed and so…lonely. It was just not Joker…The Clown had always had a bubbly personality and "show off" was his nickname along with prankster and clown, running in the same lines with psychopath, mass murderer and many others. He loved to be the heart of the party but by sitting in a corner all by himself, he seemed to want to disappear from the face of the earth and the large smile carved on his lips, was now small and thin, like wanting to become invisible as well.

"You OK, Boss?" Lou asked aloud as he picked up some paper plates from the table nearby Joker.

"Yeah! I'm fine…can't you see how happy I am?" Joker said concentrated on trying to make a mountain of white fluffy frosting over his slice of cake; his mouth pulled down in a sad grin, making his ever present smile disappear almost completely.

"Yes, I actually can…" Lou said with a smile in his face. Joker slowly lifted his gaze to stare at the thug's almond shaped black eyes, glinting back at him with innocent joy. Since when did Lou become a comedian? The Jester thought narrowing his eyes hatefully. "Not, really…what's eating you, Boss?"

The Clown soughed wearily and returned to his frosty construction. "Nothing you can fix."

Lou shrugged, turned and continued cleaning as if the conversation had never taken place. It was obvious that the Boss didn't want to talk now, so it was useless trying to force the issue; and knowing Joker…forcing the issue under these circumstances was asking for an early death. Joker hated when people minded his personal affairs.

After a few tries to add another layer of frosting to his already large glob, Joker put a napkin on top and crushed the mountain of frosting until he made it completely flat. Joker put the back of the fork in his mouth and licked off the remaining frosting slowly, and looked like he was in deep thought. Lou was still trying to keep busy with the trash the kids were leaving behind.

"Hmmm…Lou." Joker called softly, while pushing back some of the green curls off his forehead.

"Yes, Boss?" The thug promptly answered leaving what he was doing to give the Boss his undivided attention.

"Would you say that I have a personality you could fall in love with?"

Now that was a question that Lou was not expecting. He hesitated between answering the question or just looking plain stupid. These type of questions, were open to interpretation and if Joker didn't like the interpretation, that could mean PERMANENT early retirement for the unfortunately henchmen. Joker destroyed whatever he didn't like, killed whoever annoyed him…and nothing annoyed him more than people who didn't see things from his point of view.

Lou knew that the Joker was getting a little too close to the Batman but that was the Boss' choice, no matter how strange and kinky it may sound. And as long as it didn't affect him, why did Lou had to bother worrying, except that now the boss asked him directly a question, a little too personal. Where was Joker trying to get him into?

Joker arched his green eyebrows and waved his fork, urging Lou to answer his question. The Jester was one impatient clown. Lou swallowed hard.

"You're cool." The thug answered while cleaning the table in slow motion and not losing site of the Clown. Joker seemed to be on one of his moods…and it was better to be ready if he needed to take cover.

"Cool? That's all?" Joker answered sounding hurt.

"Well, what cha want me to say, Boss? Yer funny…powerful and a natural performer. People like natural performers, no?"

"Yeah, but I mean…would you fall in love with me?"

Lou swallowed hard again. What was Joker trying to insinuate with that comment…? Sometimes what seemed like a harmless comment could be the most dangerous thing in the world, especially with the Boss. Maybe he should just ignore it and not answer, but that might enrage the clown and then, he was good as dead. What other choice did he have that will not end with him dead and above that, what twisted ideas was the Joker getting in his head by asking him those weird questions?

"To tell you the truth, Boss…I prefer redheads." Lou finally said with a timid smile showing underneath his moustache stubs. Joker stared at him, with his lips pressed to a thin line and the edges of the mouth curled in one of his sinister smiles. Lou tried to swallow, but all of a sudden he felt his throat very dry.

"Funny, Lou…real funny." The Jester purred as he pulled his gun and aimed it at the thug. "But you forgot who makes the jokes around here."

Lou dropped the paper plates he was carrying around and fell on his knees.

"Please sir…don't kill me." The thug pleaded on the edge of tears. The noise in the room stopped and all of a sudden it became quiet as a cemetery. Punch, who was in the opposite corner of the room separating two kids that had started to fight, turned and saw Lou on the floor with arms extended in a silent plea, while Joker stood from his place at the table and walked over to him, with the barrel of his .38 aimed at the man's head. The rest of the kids had stopped what they were doing and looked at the clown about to kill the man on the floor.

"Why shouldn't I? You're making fun of me." The Jester said as he cocked his gun. "I hate it when people make fun of me. I'm the clown... not you."

"I was just trying to cheer you up, Boss. I swear.I wasn't making fun. Oh…God!"

"Boss, the children…" Punch started to say from his corner.

"Shut up or your next." Joker warned sternly. "Now say your prayers, Lou…"

Joker started to press on the trigger when a large blob of ice cream hit him flatly on his chest, splashing some onto his chin and nose. He looked down at the large glob of white splattered over his yellow shirt and slowly dropped his gun to the side. The Jester noted Punch was pulling one of the kids away by his arm.

"OK, Punch…" Joker finally said advancing angrily towards the thug in the corner. "I wanna know who's funny guy that did this to my shirt…?"

The large thug looked at Lou with pleading eyes and Lou just shrugged. The kid with him was starting to pull away from the large man who seemed to have frozen in place as the Jester approached him. Instinctively, Punch put the kid in between him and the Boss. Joker smiled wide.

"Very nice, Punch…it's good to know that with you, kid's safety is always first." The Clown Prince said getting special interest in the child. Joker smiled sinisterly. "Was it you, kid? Because it is very expensive to send these clothes to the drycleaners, and I happen to be very fond of my appearance. Somebody will have to pay the laundry bill."

"You were going to kill Lou and I like Lou."

"You like Lou? Awwwwww… Well, maybe you should join him in his little trip to paradise." Joker smiled. "I can arrange that. Wndow or isle…first class or coach…? Come on, kid!"

The kid spat back fighting the thug's grip. "For a Clown …you're not funny."

"Really?" Joker said cocking his head tenderly to the side as his smile just widened. This kid had no respect for authority. Didn't he know who was he talking to? The prediction was that he will become a felon before the age of sixteen…just like he himself did. Funny… this kid was starting to look so much like him…maybe he would like to play one of his little games too… "Then I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson in good comedy, and you'll see how funny I can be. Because I can be real funny… No, deadly funny."

"Heh…you know kids, Boss." Punch interjected timidly. Joker ignored Punch and raised the gun to the kid, who doubled the efforts to get off the way from the thug and the crazy Clown with the gun. He started tossing everything within reach at the Joker, and that just made the Clown even happier. Tantrums…just like his. This kid was going to go far…if he just were going somewhere at all….

The kid threw a copy of the Gazette from a nearby table at the Boss. Joker, grabbed the paper in midair and when he was about to toss it, noted the small picture of Vicky Vale on an editorial note. He quickly read the note and giggled childishly, whatever it said seemed to be very funny. Joker hadn't laughed in days that Punch or Lou could remember. The Jester finally pulled the trigger and a large banner with the word BANG in bright red letters popped from the barrel. Joker busted in laughter as the kid just looked at him in disbelief, and tears started to pour down his hazel eyes. Some of the kids giggled and that made the Joker's laugh even more hysterically and out of control. The Boss looked at the kid and on closer examination he noted that the kid's pants were wet at the crotch… and the Joker had to rest against a chair nearby to support himself as he laughed crazily. He really had a way with kids….

Joker still held the newspaper attentively in his hand, and read the note again while his laughter had started to subside. He then looked at Lou, who was still kneeling on the floor.

"You know boys…I think it's time I get some answers from the horse's mouth. Punch, set up my ride, Lou, get off the floor and gather the rest of the gang…I need to hit the news and soon, but first, I promised the kid I promised this kid I will finish this, and I'm a man of my word." Joker looked at the remnants of ice cream on his shirt as it had started to drip down, then looked sternly at the crying kid in front of him, who still had terror glinting in his eyes and had started to fight Punch's grip again. The Jester grabbed a handful of cake from a nearby table and tossed it to the kid still in Punch's hands. The cake splattered noisily on the kid's cheek.

"I think you'd love this ending," Joker said with a playful giggle. "FOOODFIIIGHT!"

All the kids roared at unison, other busted into a frenzied laughter as they ran to grab whatever was available from the neighboring tables. In a moment the room was filled of cake, chips, soda, and other types of food flying in every direction. Punch got hit in the face with some vanilla ice cream and the Joker was able to hit two kids squarely on the face with the birthday cake, before he got drenched in fruit punch and slipped falling on the floor. He started to laugh frantically. The kids reloaded and recommenced the attack concentrating on the fallen Clown and his staff, who had started to take cover under chairs. It was a lot of fun...and Joker felt in heaven….

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Laughter. Batman could hear the shrilly laughter from the Clown Prince of Crime upstairs. In his half awake, half asleep stage, the Knight had heard voices, children laughing then a silence. And then the explosive laughter of the Jester. Usually when Joker laughed, someone was either about to die, or had already died in a very funny, but gruesome way. But this laughter was different. This was a childish, joyful laughter that seemed kind of contagious. What was so funny to make the Joker laugh like that? The thoughts of Joker hurting the kids for his own amusement, made the blood boil in his veins, and he let out a loud growl. He will save the kids from this…from this…WHAT WAS THIS PLACE?

The Knight looked around. This was different from his previous accommodations. For the past few weeks he had been chained to a wall, with hands and feet restrained with thick metal cuffs and heavy chains. The food, coming twice and rarely three times daily, would be stale and had to be eaten on the cold floor.

He was now not longer chained to the wall. He lay on the floor of a small homemade cage, with enough space to get up, stand up and walk a few paces, and the food was now set on a small carpeted area on the floor covered in plastic trays to keep it fresh and separated from the dirty environment. Beside him laid a small blanket and a small traveler's pillow.

He sat on the floor and looked around. These were unexpected accommodations. He noted some electrical cables attached to one corner of the cage. Batman extended a hand and barely touched one of the bars when he got shocked. With Joker there was always a twist…and for him it was the electrified cage.

Batman couldn't forget what the Clown had him go through a few nights before. After a beating that had almost killed him, the Joker had become soft, and tender. Joker had mellowed out, if the adjective could be applied to the mass murderer. He had spoken softly and romantically, and had produced in him anticipation and arousal. Arousal. Even the thought of letting himself fall prey of the Clown's sexual ministrations repulsed him, but it had felt so good… Batman closed his eyes and conceited defeat. He had let his body fall prey of the murderous clown with the touch of Eros. He had lost himself in the Joker's game without even a fight…what was wrong with him?

"STOP!" He told himself while putting the blanket around over his shoulders. "This is all caused by Joker's gas."

He tightened the blanket around him. This must have been Joker's idea. He must have brought the blanket here for him. Bruce picked the small pillow and smelled it…the same sweet perfume filled the velvety fabric of the pillow. _Why Joker? Why are you doing this to me? _The Knight thought not able to understand how could pain and tenderness could come from the same source, how pure evil could be capable of an act of such kindness…

Batman found himself thinking of the clown once more when his focus should be saving the kids lives while bringing Joker's gang down fast and quickly. That was the only reason he had decided to stay this long deciphering a weakness of his enemies to overpower them and free the kids, but instead he found himself drifting into Joker and how out of character he seemed the other night. Could it be there something more to Joker or was this just one more of his cleverly device plans to bring him down?

Whatever Joker's plan was, he had to make a move fast and find a way out of this predicament to take those children away before the Clown had a chance to hurt them. He had lied about it before, which means that murder was still in his mind. The children would not be safe around that monster.

Feeling the fabric of the blanket over his aching shoulders he realized it was made of a soft. synthetic fiber. An idea sparked in his head. It was time to work on a way out of this prison. He had only one chance to make this work, and Joker had not taken all from him as he thought.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Pam was irrigating her little carnivorous snapdragon, the pride of her collection of mutated flowering plants when she heard the front door of her hideout being knocked so hard that she thought the door was going to come down anytime. It wasn't the police, for the police just not knock at your door, but come and force their entry without asking permission and with her reputation, there should be an army of police cars and lights outside, but instead, everything looked dark and calmed.

"I wonder who is the poor soul venturing this far and knocking so rudely in my home, Snappy," Ivy purred to her snapdragon as is bounced up and down joyfully in her pot. "But if they don't stop pounding on my door like that…I think they are going to become your dinner."

At the sound of her voice the other carnivorous plants started to move agitatedly in their respective pots, some of them screeching audibly as if they could understand what her mistress was taking about. The door kept pounding and Pam, leaving her watering can on the counter, headed to the entrance to take care of the irreverent visitors in her own personal way…

She hoped they were indeed cops…for then she could get even after the last violent interaction she had with the GCPD, the one where they just raided her previous hideout with their large guns and destroyed most of her unique garden of monstrosities. She would never forget that night, she could still feel the pain of her plants, getting burnt to a crisp by the police flamethrowers…and she swore that she would make the police department pay for that act of savagery. At least she had been able to save a small group of her little flowering babies before the monsters destroyed them too.

"I'm coming…I'm coming," She said running a hand over her bright scarlet curly mane as she thought there was no excuse for the rudeness. The pounding finally stopped and when Ivy reached the door, she took a look through the peephole to see who the intruder was. Ivy saw a head of blonde hair wrapped in to two bouncy pigtails to each side of the head. The visitor raised her head and she could see the two baby blue eyes, reddened and filled up with tears. "Harley…?"

"Can I come in, Red…? I didn't know where else to go…"

Poison Ivy opened the door and Harley rushed in with her face in her hands and sat on the old dusty sofa.

"You OK, darling?" Ivy said closing the door behind her as she came close and sat beside her. "I thought you were going to stay a while with that wild clown of yours…it's not safe to be together again…"

"I…I went back…and you should have seen him…" Harley sobbed and sniffled. "It was like he was a different person. He was destroying my clown collection and then he looked at me with those two puppy green eyes of his and the he told me he was in love…and…"

"He told you he was in love…? Ivy asked dumbfounded.

"Yes…then (sniff, sniff) I tell him he sometimes seems to not care for what I feel…and he asks me how he can fix that…"

"I don't believe he asked you that," Pam said clearing gently a few stray blonde hairs from Harley's face.

"He did. That is when I…I kissed him, Red…"

"You what?" Ivy said with fire lighting on her eyes and a grimace in her face.

"Yes Red," Harley continued. "In the lips…and before I know, he was asking me to make love to him."

Ivy's red lips parted in a gaping surprise look. "God…You and the Clown…?"

"Everything was going like in my wildest dreams. He was so tender, so romantic…then all of a sudden he starts hurting me. He pins me down on the desk so hard, kicks me and starts talking nonsense. Tells me he doesn't wanna lose me, that I'm all in his life and he causes me pain…then seems to have been talking to someone else, entirely."

"That looks kind of creepy…"

"You tell me…then I finally protest he looks at me and starts yelling at me because he didn't want to make love to me…"of all people" he says. Pammy…that hurt me deeply." Harley said starting to sob again. "But I thought….that's what he wanted…Ooooh….why does he have to be so mean and make me feel like shit?"

Poison Ivy ran a tender hand down her cheek to catch an elusive tear in Harley's face that had started its journey down from her blue eyes. The Joker never cared for anybody but himself, never had even given a hint that he was able to say anything romantic to anybody and the whole story seemed like a fairy tale invented by Harley herself to satisfy her fixation on the clown, but then…the final mood swing…that was definitely Joker style.

"Harley, dear…you're positive this happened to you?" Ivy asked softly. The least she wanted to do was to give the impression this could have been imagined…

"Red, I might be a little crazy, but I don't hallucinate…this WAS REAL!" Harley retorted in a very angry tone.

"Ok, Ok, darling…just checking." Pam said defensively, putting a hand around her shoulders and pulling Harley close to her. "It's just that Joker…well, I never thought he would…"

"Ask me to make love to him? Pam…he is a man…he has needs."

"Yes, but he is also completely out of his mind. Anyways…It looks to me that if he asked you to make love and, all of a sudden he tells you that he doesn't want to have anything to do with you, in that rude way…he was just using you."

"Using me? But he looked so sincere…"

"I know…and men are like that. They put their act very well…large puppy eyes saying that they are harmless, promise you the whole world and when you are not performing like expected or they're not satisfied…off you go with the trash…discarded like nothing."

"He never promised me the world, Red…he sounded more like pleading…I remembered him saying that he needed my help to feel something…"

Pam waved a disdainful hand in front of her. "Same show…different routine. I wouldn't lose my sleep over his performance. The Clown loves to perform, and he was performing for you because he wanted something from you and when he couldn't get it…he turned into this mean monster, which by the way…he's always been. Sorry it is me who busts your bubble."

"Are you saying I couldn't deliver what he wanted…?" Harley protested, with bright blue eyes filled with guilt.

"No, no darling…you can deliver a lot of love…" Ivy said absentmindedly licking her lips as she ran an errand finger around Harleys face and. "That is not the issue. The issue is that Joker wanted something in a certain way…you didn't do it his way…bye, bye Harley."

"Oh my God! I should have asked him how he wanted me to..."

Pamela rolled her eyes and grabbed Harley's face tenderly in her hands. "Harley…stop daydreaming and listen to me. You deserve more than what you have received so far…you…you are such a loving creature and you are capable of so much love. You deserve more that the Clown…much more. Joker lost his chance when he discarded you like a piece of shit…you need to find other ways of routing that love."

"But I love him, Red."

"And he doesn't love you…he told you himself, and more than once before…didn't he?"

"Y-yes…?" Harley admitted shyly.

"Then why stay beside a man that doesn't really care how you feel, when love can be so close." Ivy said coming closer to Harley's face. "So close."

"You think…? Maybe he was just confused…"

"And maybe, just maybe…he wanted you to feel like crap, because it amused him. You know Joker, he likes hurting people for his own twisted sense of humor. Men can't understand what's under our skin, Harl. Only another kindred soul, with the same needs, the same feelings, even the same fantasies can…" Ivy's eyes softened and her lips came very close to Harley's, while her hands caressed the other woman's checks tenderly. Her lips parted slightly…

"Red…what are you doing?"

"Showing you that men are not the only ones who can be in love, Harley…only difference is that men lie about their feelings…it's in their nature…while others…are just opened to be loved…and give love back. Women…well, we understand each other. Harley, you have been so lonely for so long…

"Hmmm…Pam…."

"Shhh, sweet Harley…listen to me and learn that there is a whole new world out there for you to take control of if only you're willing to take it…I…am offering you this world." Ivy said giving Harley a sweet kiss on her cheek. "A world in which you will be queen, and were all your dreams can come true…You want me to show you?"

"Pammy…I don't know…this is…unexpected."

"No, it's not…don't you want to be loved?"

"Yes…but Joker…"

"Is in the past…look ahead of you…look at the bright future ahead of you. A future where love will be your companion, and your strength…and where you will not be alone, ever…I promise…and unlike your Clown, I will deliver."

"Pam…"

Poison Ivy advanced and kissed Harley on her lips softly, savoring the salty texture on those pleading lips. After a long while that their lips were joined in that wet tender kiss, Ivy let go gently and stared at Harley's blue eyes, that just stared at her...intently, tears were visibly starting to accumulate in them. Beautiful blue eyes...

"That…what you wanted, sweetie…?"


	11. Cleansing the Soul

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY SABRINA! SURPRISE!**

_**Author's Note:** Ok, here we are with another chapter. My first warning about this type of chapter was made in my profile...hope everybody had a chance to read it. I am not a NAZI that tell people read this or don't read that...that is not my style. My style is to promote the use of our brains in a useful way...even if it is to read entertaining stories. That is why I became a writer. But I would like to remind you all what this story is about. _

_This is a story of characters...two men in a search for themselves...through pain and joys and self discovery is a twisted road, especially with Joker around. This two men happen to be two icons, but they are living characters nontheless (hopefully I can make them live for you in this story). This story is going to deal with very mature subjects and have to confess...to a point it will be very wild, so I will advise objectiviy and maturity. Are you mature enough to be reading this story? I have no clue...but as a general rule I would say that nobody below 17 should be reading this. Of course...I know a lot of 14-15years old that act twice their age...and a lot of 50 year olds that need a babysitter...So the line is very blurry. The Bottom Line is...this story contains laughter, tears, pain. sex, personal growth and more sex. If you are here because of the story, great...welcome aboard. If you are here because of the sex...go and search pornography somewhere else. This is a real story...meant to entertain...not to satisfy the hormonal surge of mindless sex addicts. _

_That said...and hoping nobody was offended, please enjoy this chapter that though spicy...will let you view a little more of Joker's psyche as I envision it. Another thing...the poll I started in the previous chapter...is a tie (5-5). I could vote and make a difference...but that would be like imposing my point of view over the readers. So what I decided to do...? Extend the voting a little longer. So please...keep voting...(double votes will not count) and leave your opinions on a review or PM me if you are shy...I am open to suggestions and criticism...Thanks...and here you have it..._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and all related characters belong solely to DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There are scenes of EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT, MATURE SUBJECT and LANGUAGE. Readers are advised to be selective and careful when reading._

_This chapter had a beta once: LADY EVIL_

**Chapter 11: CLEANSING THE SOUL**

Joker took off his shirt and let it fall by the corner of the bathroom as he turned on the shower. He had frosting, soda, and chips all over his hair, face and chest, and when he walked he could feel food stuck in less proper places. The food fight had been a wild one and thoughhe had been overwhelmed by the children, it had been worth it. He had never had this much fun without anybody having to die. That was a first one…and it made the Jester smile.

The Clown undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants, letting them fall to the floor. It was followed with his underwear that was soaked in fruit punch. Finally removing any remaining clothes, he stepped into the shower. The hot water hitting hard on his face and flowing down his pale body felt good. He didn't realize how tired he was. There were a lot of things inside his mind lately, more than usual, and that would definitely take a toll in his physical health. He felt so tired, that he could fall asleep standing on the shower.

He thought of what he wanted to do next while he squirted some liquid soap on his purple sponge and started to scrub away the grime in his face and torso. This city was his playground and with the big bad bat under his thumb, there were a lot of things he could do and actually get away with. No one will stand on his way if he wanted to take over the city. Dumb-wing and Blunder boy as well as the rest of the Bat-family were no match for him, and Gordon with his entourage of uniformed puppets were even less of a concern. The Gotham police feared him, especially after he had them removed of their resident bat.

But he was not interested in the city, its entourage of blue pigs, or the Bat-family anymore. Yes, killing Robins had been fun for a while, but now his attention was set on the head of the family. The Batman. And how could he not? He was the very reason for the Joker's existence. The Joker existed because of the Batman and though the Caped Crusader denied it, he probably needed the Jester as much. That dreadful night in Monarch proved that. Joker existed to tease his enemy day after day. He wanted to give meaning and purpose to the Night Beast, to show him that there can't be light without darkness, happiness without sorrow…joy without pain. And once he understood the Joke, that the Jester had tried to drill through that thick cowl, he would be free and stronger than he ever was.

If only he could make that man understand…

Joy and pain…history of his life. Joker's existence had always been a clash of contradictions, a battle of opposites. He had lost his wife in the most horrendous way possible and life had given him a permanent large smile to laugh at his pain. He was a clown, and while clowns make people laugh with jokes, he had made people laugh with murder. And murder always had a way of making him happy. The miseries of the common people of Gotham made him extremely happy, always had, because shared pain was only half the pain. So the fact that he loved his worst enemy was another one of his contradictions, or was he going mad?

The Batman. In his basement and just for him, like it was meant to be and at the same time…not enough. Why did he still feel so incomplete? Why was it that no matter what he did, he couldn't make himself feel anything…? How could he know that he loved the Detective when every time he forced himself on the Batman he was incapable of feeling any gratification? What was wrong with him?

He knew he was obsessed with the Batman. At first it was the childish curiosity of a boy that plays with his brand new toy, but then he realized how much Batman meant to him and him to the Knight. Batman would leave anything he was doing if he knew Joker was in town, and will play his games whenever challenged. That proved he was important to the Bat.

Everything he did, he did for the Batman, trying to put a smile in the face of a man that only seemed to sulk in an inner anger, that Joker understood perfectly. His dream had always been to turn the beast inside out and make the Knight cross the line he always refused to cross. Then he would see things from Joker's way and they will be partners instead of enemies. And that would have made him very happy, but even though he had the Batman so close within his grasp, he could not rejoice, cherish nor enjoy the conditions under which his enemy was here.

Instead it was like a big hole of nothingness in the middle of his chest. It was hard to describe unless one understood the mechanics of black holes, but the nothingness left him empty inside, and everything around him had lost its meaning. All had lost its fun after it was sucked in by the darkness.

Joker pressed his right hand against the wall underneath the shower, closed his eyes, and raised his head to let the warm water wash away his face. The hot liquid splashed mercilessly against his white porcelain face, purging not only his body but also his soul. He was so confused. He wasn't asking for much, was he? The Jester started to scrub again. The sponge felt good against his weary skin. Wash the dirt away, wash the pain away, and feel something against his chest and abdomen, something rough and caressing, like the large powerful hands of the Batman, running up and down his body.

Joker ran a hand up his left arm and shoulder. It was small and feminine, but it could be the strong and manly hands of the Bat. If he could only make the Knight understand how much he needed his embrace…how much he meant to his every existence…this could be the Knight touching him tenderly.

Joker sighed deeply as he continued the scrubbing down his lower abdomen. The Jester closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the blue orbs that he saw in his mind's eye and that mesmerized him as if a magical spell had been cast over him. Those very eyes that had looked at him with so much anger and resentment while all he wanted to do was to get closer to him and fill his life with the only other man that could catch up with him because he was just like him.

The Clown Prince started to scrub between his legs when he let go of the sponge in his hand. He remembered how he had felt the Batman's manhood stiffen and engorge under his touch. He smiled at his accomplishment. He had made the Bat feel aroused, but that had left Joker empty. Why? Why? He had done it right, no? The Caliph of Clowns grabbed his own manhood in his hands, flaccid and dormant. He needed the Bat to wake it up from its slumber. He needed the Bat beside him to feel alive, breathing, and complete.

The Clown Prince continued massaging the entire length of his manhood, now erect and hard, and the pace of his ministrations picked up fast as he imagined the Batman beside him, pleasuring him, teasing him with sweet butterfly kisses all over his body. Just like he had done on the Detective's not so long ago. In his mind he was no longer alone; he was with his lover, his mate, the Ying of his Yang…the order of his chaos. The world around him was at peace…he was at peace, and that feeling was something that he had forgotten a long time ago. It felt good to feel like that once more.

"Batman please, hold me…" The Jester whispered in the solitude of the shower. "Please let me feel you beside me." Joker's penis was now hard, and he ran a tender hand over his manhood and down until he held his scrotum. He felt the hardness between his legs that wanted to explode to such tender caresses from the man-bat. "Batman, teach me how to feel…again. Please. I can't do this alone…"

Then the unimaginable happened. In the privacy of the shower, between the splashing and dripping water he heard the Batman's voice calling him. It was like a whisper, and the words were unintelligible. Had the Knight escaped again from the basement? No, impossible. Joker looked up and around, but the only thing he saw between the wet green curls of hair plastered on his face, was his own reflection against the wet walls. He had heard the Batman calling his name… and Joker shuddered, his legs starting to give away, so he had to let go of himself to hold onto the wall. He's lover had heard his plea. He turned around and rested his back against the shower stall and continued now frantically rubbing the shaft of his member, only stopping briefly to touch softly the tip that sent electrifying bursts of energy to the higher centers in his mind. This energy had opened his ears once.

Joker's breathing had picked up. He was now panting under the shower, his body quavering spasmodically, like small seizures that heightened his senses to the pleasure. Is this what it was like to feel loved? It had been so long since he felt this way. The Jester could feel himself on the verge of an orgasm.

"Joker, you are…empty" Joker said in a deep, raspy voice. No, that is not what he wanted to say, he wanted to hear he was loved and cared for. "You're not even real. Who are you really, Joker?"

"What?" Joker spat in desperation as he tried to force the voice to speak to him. "I don't understand. I'm here."

"Only your madness is." Joker said reliving the Knight's harsh words.

"If I was insane, you would have no power over me, but now…" Joker pleaded on the verge of tears. His body stiffened for a moment as he continued his ministrations. He ran his long fingers tenderly and sensually over his blood red lips. "Look at me, I'm nothing without you and you don't care."

"No, it's my fault. You cannot fill what doesn't want to be filled…" Joker muttered as tears started to run down his cheeks. "I felt very comfortable in my anger. Madness was a place I called home, but I will leave them if you'd only give me a chance…

"For what? Share my pain?" Joker hit the shower stall furiously. "Stop saying those things…you deserve me. I love you."

"No,you love your pain and your anger as much as you love yourself….and nothing else."

"But I can be different, just give me a chance. JUST GIVE ME ONE MORE CHANCE!" Joker heard a knock in the door, but he didn't care. The only thing that mattered was the pain deep inside; burning him as if the sun was touching the innards of his soul setting it on fire. The pain… He heard the knock again…

The Jester let go of his member and reclined his forehead against the wall and he gritted his teeth. The emptiness was unbearable. When the door was knocked for a third time, Joker rolled his hands into tight fists and hit the shower stall wall hard.

"WHAT!" The Jester growled.

"Boss, you OK?" He heard Punch's voice outside the door. He didn't want to respond. He felt in pieces. He wanted to die. He was not OK.

"I'm fine…" Joker lied. "Leave me alone."

The Jester heard paces outside the door, leaving. Thank God, he thought as he rose unsteadily on his feet and turned off the shower. He grabbed his soft purple towel and looked down at his member that had become flaccid and dormant once more…

"Wonderful…I'm all horny and you go to sleep. Traitor." Joker said letting out a defeated sigh. He had failed again. The Jester snorted angrily, wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower.

How could he explain to his idiotic associates that Batman had refused him, even in his imagination and that he couldn't even reach an orgasm? How hard could it be to make yourself come? Joker sneered. If he couldn't even imagine the Bat returning his favors, there was something really wrong with him. And this pain he felt inside, that was slowly consuming him…what was going on with him? He wanted to laugh, but couldn't think of anything funny to laugh about.

Joker walked over to the sink and looked at his reflection on the mirror. He looked like as if he was way over a hundred years old. Huge dark bags were under his eyes, and his cheeks sank deep into his face like he was been sucked from inside. His hair, a royal mess of green curls and stray hairs, fell on and stuck to his face giving him a sinister, crazy look. He had the appearance of a wild man…no, a wild clown. Joker grabbed a comb from over the sink and started to straighten the curls.

"What have you done to me, Bats…WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME...?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Alfred opened the door to see a tall man in a gray suit staring down at him. The butler was not surprised of the visitor, actually had been expecting him anytime, but it had always forgotten how impressive it was to actually stand beside him. What he had seen in the news was nothing compared to standing beside the tower of a man. The man smiled softly, his blue eyes glinting behind the round rimmed spectacles.

"Hi, Alfred. Hope I didn't startled you." Then man with the glasses said softly, with his friendly smile gleaming in his face. That smile made Alfred feel very comfortable.

"Not at all, Mr. Kent. And there are not many things that startle me these days, if you understand my meaning." Clark nodded. Alfred stood aside and motioned towards the inside of the house. "Welcome to Wayne Manor, sir."

Clark Kent enter the mansion. He was no stranger to Wayne Manor. He had been here multitude of times before, as his alter ego Superman, in business of the Justice League. He knew Bruce Wayne closely, and he knew his secret along with the secrets that lay underneath the foundations of this house.

"Do you have any luggage with you, sir?" Alfred asked.

"No, I…am travelling light. Any news from Bruce?" Clark asked as he followed the butler down the hall to the living room.

"None." The tone in Alfred's voice was clear. The disappearance of Batman was not an easy subject for him. Bruce was like a surrogate son, that was now lost. Alfred was worried about his son. "Master Tim will give you all the details, but so far the information on the Batman's whereabouts has been very sketchy."

"I'm sorry to hear that. How long has it been?"

Alfred took his time. "About two weeks now."

"Don't worry, Alfred. We are going to bring him back. That is why I'm here for."

Down the hall, Tim's voice carried away.

"Who was that, Alfred?"

"Mr. Kent is here, sir."

"Wow. You're really fast." Tim said not hiding his surprise. He had spoken over the phone just a few hours ago.

"Faster than a speeding bullet, they say…" Clark said extending a friendly hand to the young crime fighter. Tim corresponded. Boy, Superman had a strong grip…like steel. "I had to come as fast as I could. Batman needs us, now more than ever."

"Master Tim, I will leave momentarily to get some refreshments for our guest. The trip from Metropolis had to be tiring even for Superman."

"Sure, no problem Alfred. We will be in the living room." Tim responded as the butler departed in the direction of the kitchen.

"Alfred is taking it very good." Kent remarked softly to Robin.

"Yeah, but he is as worried as I am. What have you heard in the media?" Tim asked as he guided Clark through the hall.

"What everybody knows…that Batman has disappeared and that the Joker is claiming responsibility. Didn't the Joker also kidnap some children?"

"Yes, twelve Kiwanis aging between eight and thirteen. He killed the camp leader the day he kidnapped the kids and Batman."

"Do you know what happened? Bruce is not exactly an easy target, especially for the Joker."

"Don't know, but it seemed to have been planned all along, because Joker was able to escape with twelve kids and a masked vigilante from a building surrounded by the entire police department. I still don't know how in hell the Clown did it."

"And you are sure it was Joker…?"

"The Clown left proof behind when he attacked the Mayor during a public speech. He left Batman's utility belt behind…intact."

They arrived at the large living room. Tim removing some cushions from the large brown velvety sofa motioned Clark to sit. Robin himself took an arm chair by the fireplace.

"Joker always wanted to kill Batman for interfering with his plans."

"That's where we made a mistake. Joker wants something else with Batman…don't know what, but he doesn't want to kill him…at least not yet. We have found some blood but no body yet, and you know Joker. He wouldn't shut up if he had killed Batman. He will be showing off his prowess…"

"Joker should know that neither you nor Gordon is going to rest until Batman and the kids are safe."

"Oh he knows. That's not a secret and he's constantly on the move. We have found already at least two places where he has been hiding with the kids and the Batman. He is just a few steps ahead of us in this hunt. We need to shorten the steps."

"And how do you want me to help, Tim?"

Robin made a long pause. Until that time he didn't realize he did not have a plan. The only thing he knew was that the situation had gone out of hand and that he needed help and the only one he could think of was of Superman and the League.

"I'm working on a plan. But in the meantime, I need Clark Kent to use his reporter skills and get in touch with the Gotham media."

"Why…I don't understand?"

"Joker is very upset of the media coverage on him. The local reporters have called him names, and had even openly expressing their wishes to have the death penalty applied in the Clown's case. The Joker is furious, and has been lashing at the press constantly. He killed a few reporters already threatened others, and I'm sure more will follow."

"You want Clark Kent to catch the Joker's attention?"

"No, Joker is not stupid. If he realizes that a Metropolis reporter all of a sudden is on his case, he will immediately realize that Superman is in the vicinity as well. The Man of Steel protects his citizens. Keep a low profile. Just mingle with the local press. Joker will show up his happy face soon and you will have a chance to confront the Clown, who will not be expecting Superman to be in Gotham."

Alfred appeared in the living room carrying a tray with some tea and pastries that he set gently on the cocktail table. Tim picked up one of the cups and after putting a lump of sugar on it, took a long sip.

"Thanks Alfred…needed that."

"As much as you need some sleep, Master Tim." Alfred said simply.

"Tim…Pushing your body to the limits of your own humanity like Batman does is not healthy…" Kent said dryly. "Hell, sometimes I wish Batman wouldn't do that either, but you have to understand that you can't help Bruce if you don't rest."

"I'm OK…really." Tim said noticing that neither Clark nor Alfred looked too convinced. "Now that you are here, I'm sure I can take some time to rest…and I will."

"The League will do whatever is needed to help…just take time to breathe, OK?

Tim nodded absentmindedly as he took another sip from his tea. "Hm…there is this one reporter that has been lashing at Joker since all this mess had started. Her name is Vicky Vale. I think that she will benefit from some protection. I'm sure she is in Joker's Black List…"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Harley looked at Pamela's green eyes, just inches in front of her. She had never heard Ivy speak like that and though flattering, this was way too weird. She had always wanted Joker to be this close, to talk to her like this, to make love to her. She was in love with the Clown Prince of Crime, but all she had ever gotten from him were insults, yelling, and lots of pain. With Poison Ivy…she was feeling comfortable…and loved.

She knew that they had always been close…very close. She had been there for her in her most difficult moments, to help her go through, while Joker had laughed at her pain and looked for love in a mirror… The truth was that sometimes she had wondered if her Pudding was capable of anything else than gloat about his genius and hurt people around him. Ivy brought her lips closer to Harley's when she was stopped by a hand against her chest.

"Harley…why?" Pam said softly still holding her face tenderly in her hands. "Don't you understand that I love you…more than that Clown will ever love you?"

"I know Red, and you make me feel…especial." Harley responded with a childish smile in her face. "I love you too but this…this is too sudden."

"Joker…"Pam let out angrily letting go of Harley's face.

"In part…" Harley shrugged. "But even though I feel for my Puddin'…I appreciate you opening my eyes to the truth. He doesn't love me…at least not as I want to be loved."

"Then let me give you what you deserve. I can make you happy."

Harley sighed. "There is nothing in this world I would like most than to be happy…at least once in my life. But I don't know if this for me Red. You understand, right…?"

Ivy put her hands on her hands and sobbed. "I'm stupid…a total idiot. You can't love anybody else because you are still in love with the Clown. What was I thinking?"

Those words felt like a knife through Harley's heart. This is not what she wanted to say. "Pammy…"

"No, it's OK…I understand." Ivy said waving a hand in front of her and wiping tears with the other.

Harley held Pamela's face in her hands and made her look at her. Ivy's eyes glistened with tears. "It's not OK, Red…and what I meant is that right now…I'm not sure how I feel. I can't stop thinking about Joker, but you…you make me feel so good too. I just need a little time to sort this out. Give me some time…"

"Don't fool yourself, Harley. And please…don't play with my feelings."

Harley leaned over to Ivy's face and kissed her tenderly on her forehead, and let her lips run along the fair skin until she reach her friend's ear. "I would never play with you, Red…not like this. You are too important for me…far more important that my own life. I will never let you get hurt."

"Harl…" Ivy let out softly.

"Just a little time, Red…" Harley said resting her head tenderly on Poison Ivy's bosom. "In the meantime…let me be here beside you…just like this. Tthis feels…so good. I even forgot why I was crying…"

Ivy encircled Harley in a soft embrace, and rested her head on the Harlequin's. Feeling this close to her also felt really good. She wished she could make this moment last forever, but she had to have Harley freely and in order for that, she will have to wait. Harley was right…all this have been so sudden…but so easy, almost like it was meant to be. She will wait, that's the least she could do, because he loved her. Pam kissed Harley's yellow head tenderly.

"S'OK, Harl…I will let time tell. In the meantime…this is your home. Stay here all you want, I will be here for you…"

"I know, Red…because you understand me…we're one and the same…and nobody could separate us…not even Joker." Harley closed her eyes and pressed her head against Ivy's chest. She could hear her friend's heart thumping against her ear.

"Friends for ever…" Pamela said smiling happily.

"Yeah…friends…and one day…maybe more…"


	12. The Interview

**Chapter 12: The Interview**

Apartment 558 was not too far from the elevators. The call had come as a surprise. She wasn't expecting anybody who had known the Joker from so close to go into the open for an interview, because Joker did not appreciate telltales…especially when they talk about him. And people, who had talked, had died horribly, confirming the extents the Jester of Hate was willing to go to keep people silenced.

She straightened her clothes and knocked twice on the door. The door opened and a large and very tall man received her. He signaled to her sweater that he kindly help remove and then set on a hanger by the door.

"Thanks. Where is Mrs. Paddleton?

"She'll be with you shortly." The man said with a very raspy voice. This was not the same voice that had greeted her through the intercom before and she found it very odd. The man stood by her and crossed his arms over his chest and she could see letters ACAB tattooed on his fingers. Those were convict tattoos. Vicky looked at the man and he just stared at her darkly. All of a sudden this situation smelled rotten and she felt her stomach tighten. She didn't feel comfortable and been so close to the exit, she bolted for the door. The man quickly grabbed her by her waist and hurled her violently across the room. She landed painfully by the cocktail table and as she tried to rise again, this time holding the taser she had retrieved from her bag, she noticed the man aiming an automatic .44 at her.

"What's all that ruckus about, Polly?" Someone called from the kitchen. That was the same voice that had greeted her before. The voice was quickly accompanied by a face…a face she hoped never to see again. The man with the falsetto voice wore a wide carved smile on his face. She knew the smile, she knew the man and she knew she was good as dead.

"She tried to get out of the apartment, boss." Polly answered timidly. Even the man was nervous around the clown figure.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Ms. Vale," said the man with the Clown face smiling smugly as he straightened his bright yellow vest over his dark purple pants. "Leaving without even saying goodbye…how rude! And what are you doing on the floor? Did Polly mistreat you?"

"Boss…" Polly started to say when he saw the Clown's gloved hand rise menacingly into the air. The thug swallowed hard. The Jester walked over Ms. Vale and noticing the taser in her hand extended his towards the weapon.

"I don't think you're gonna need that, sweetie. Can I have it…please?" The man said tenderly, shaking the extended hand. Vicky put the taser unwillingly in the Clown's hand, and he walked towards Polly playing childishly with the weapon. The Clown stopped within a few inches of the tall man. "Did you mistreat Ms. Vale, Polly?"

The thug shook his head and the Clown looked at Vicky with a large smile. The reported nodded.

"The lady says you did, Polly. She's our guest, not the enemy." The Jester laughed softly, and Polly laughed back, but nervously. The Clown called over his shoulder."Hey…Lou!"

A large man with almond eyes and dark stubbly face came from the inner rooms of the apartment. "You called, Boss?"

"I will leave you in charge of Ms. Vale's wellbeing," The Clown was staring at the tall thug. "And you are going to apologize to her, aren't you Polly?"

"S-s-sure."The thug put the gun away and looked at the reporter, then back worriedly to the Jester. "I'm sorry…Ms. Vale."

"Good boy, Polly. Now was that good enough an apology for you Vick. Can I call you Vick?"

"No!" She responded emphatically.

"Ok, Vick, we can cut the formalities. We are all friends here…that is, until Polly starts being unfriendly. "The Jester gave his henchman and icy stern look. Polly started to hyperventilate.

"I said I was sorry." The henchman sputtered.

"And nobody believed you. You have to go. Bye Polly." Joker came a few steps closer to his henchman and as he started his goodbyes, the Jester rammed the taser between the man's legs, pressing hard against his crotch. The man jerked, stiffened and fell back painfully on the floor where he lay moaning loudly. The Clown walked over the thug and kneeling on the floor, pressed the taser against the man's temple and left it there for long minutes while the man jerked violently on the floor. He finally removed the weapon and the man didn't move anymore. He had his eyes wide open, and stared blankly at the ceiling. Joker looked up to the ceiling too as if searching something, then down to the dead man on the floor. The Jester put the taser on his jacket and rose from the floor while giggling. "What do you know…no smoke? Great balls of fire…. Heh, heh…I love these things…."

Vicky looked at the Clown with eyes agape with horror. "My God, Joker! Did you have to kill him?"

"Of course. We should not promote unfriendliness or rudeness, don't you agree? And his apology was not even sincere" The Clown Prince said with a large smile signaling the reported towards the kitchen. "Do you want to continue this conversation over some tea?"

Joker's lack of empathy for his fellow humans was both disgusting and terrifying. Vicky tried to contain her horror and her rage. She hated monsters like this. "You normally don't chat with people."

Joker shook his head sadly. "How little you know me, Vicky. I chat…actually too much. People just don't listen…until I make them listen. Now, if you are so kind…"

Lou started pushing Vicky along. As she started to walk, she could feel pain on his ankle that radiated up her leg. Great…she was not only prisoner of this madman… she was also crippled with a sprained ankle. She limped slightly towards the kitchen escorted by Lou, who offered his hand for support.

When she arrived to the kitchen she saw the dead body of Mrs. Peddleton lying on the floor. Her face was contorted in a large macabre toothy grin that she recognized too well. Joker venom. The Jester advanced over the cadaver, skipping it as someone walks over a small puddle and stopped by the counter where he picked up a tray with miniature cupcakes that he set nicely on the breakfast table by the wall. On the back of one of the chairs, rested the Joker's purple jacket. The table had already being set with a teapot and two cups with saucers. Joker motioned to the chair in front of him, and Lou pushed Vicky softly forward, but the reporter just pushed back and stood her ground.

"You expect me to sit and have tea with you, like nothing happened, after what you've done here?" Vicky said motioning to the dead woman on the floor. "You must be out of your mind…"

"I'm crazy, yes…but I also make great tea…want some?" The Jester purred innocently.

"You killed this poor woman then fried your henchman's brains. You kidnap innocent children for God knows what, and finally attack the Mayor at a public speech. What now, kill a reporter?"

The Jester narrowed his eyes and started drumming his gloved fingers over the table's edge and Vicky knew that was a dangerous sign. But she couldn't just let this Clown dictate her actions, she was not going to fall prey of terror for this murderer. Her integrity was too strong… the passion for her beliefs was even stronger. As a reporter she was not going to be intimidated, even less by the likes of him. Still….being this close to an angry mad Clown was terrifying…

"Since you like children so much, Ms. Vale…" The Jester started. "Would you like to carve one with me?"

"What?"

"Lou is that kid still locked in his room?" Joker said not removing his eyes from the reporter while his smile widened evilly. "Mrs. Peddleton's son?"

"Eh…yes, sir. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking that Ms. Vale here would like me to teach her how to carve a kid for Halloween. Some people carve pumpkins…I like carving kids. A little messy, but a lot more fun, especially when they scream." The Jester giggled.

"You wouldn't" Vale said defiantly.

"Wanna find out, sweetheart?" Joker responded cocking his head in a condescending manner.

Vicky realized that she couldn't fight this demented psychopath if he still had hostages and she had totally forgotten about Elizabeth Peddleton's son. He must be around ten, from her previous marriage; the only survivor of this family...for now. She couldn't sentence the kid to death just because she felt it was her duty to stand with justice on her side and antagonize the Joker. She was bound to play his game…until the Joker wanted.

"No. I'll talk to you..." She said with a soft voice. "But first, I need to know he is really alright."

Joker rolled his eyes annoyed. "He's fine. Isn't my word enough?"

"Your word is not worth much in this side of town, Joker."

"I'm a man of my word, Vick. Every time I've said I was going to kill someone I have done it, but if it's proof you want…"

The Jester sighed deeply and then produced a small hand held monitor from his jacket. He turned it on and showed it to the reporter, who could clearly see the kid playing videogames with one of Joker's henchman. They both seemed to have been having a blast as both screamed and giggle jovially.

"Now…can we have some tea…? It's getting cold."

"You're despicable…" The reporter said almost to a whisper as she sat in front of the Jester.

"No, I am Scorpio." The Clown Prince said giggled softly. "Now, one lump or two, Ms. Vale?"

"Thanks…but I don't like tea." Vicky said plainly.

"Liar…you drink tea everyday in your office. I've seen you. Green tea...isn't it?" Joker smiled.

How did he know? When had he seen her? Vicky thought. Since when has the Clown been spying on her daily activities and for how long? How close has this madman been to her without her ever noticing? The thought of it scared her.

"I don't like…your tea." She corrected without allowing her fear show in her voice. She was not too sucessful.

"I don't know how you can you dislike what you've never tasted," The Joker said with a shrug as he poured some tea for himself. "But suit yourself."

"You…you didn't have to kill her." Vicky finally said after a long silence while looking at Mrs. Peddleton's body on the floor.

"Oh yes I had. She was quoted saying I should be euthanized."

"…and she was going to talk to me about you. Isn't that it? You couldn't allow her to tell me your secrets."

"Oh. No, no, no. You're getting this all wrong." Joker took a sip of the tea and licked his lips. "It was me who planned this meeting from the beginning. I knew that since you were doing a report on me, an interview with my former nurse was the perfect bait for my curious reporter."

"You mean to tell me you did all this just to get close enough to kill me?

The Jester sighed. "Here we go again...who said anything about killing you, Ms. Vale? I just wanted to have a friendly chat. That's all."

Vicky held the edge of the table with her hands and pushed herself back into the chair. She felt Lou's large figure behind her like a wall. Joker passed the tray with the cupcakes, but she refused.

"You sure you don't want any? They're low in fat …I baked them myself." Joker offered as Vicky just stared at him. The Jester shrugged smugly again. "Well, I just wanted to talk about a certain nocturnal beast."

"The Batman." She replied flatly. He put the tray beside him and started eating one of the cupcakes.

"Yes… I understand that you two are-how should I put this-very close." The Jester said taking a mouthful of cupcake and frosting. He cleaned his face with a napkin.

The statement surprised Vicky. She had indeed been very close to the Batman once. Not only that, but she had also been close to the man underneath the cowl. She had an admiration for the Dark Knight of Gotham, and that lead to an investigation that concluded with her finding out that millionaire Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same person. Did the Joker know this?

"No one is close to the Batman, Joker." She finally said as calmly as she could.

"Oh, but you have gotten some exclusive reports that I find difficult you will get, unless you two had an understanding." The Jester said running a hand through his hair taming his curls, then adjusted the cuffs of his shirt.

"I have an admiration for his work, if that's what you mean. But that's all."

"And would you mind explaining me why he cringes every time I mention your name and murder in the same sentence?"

So it was true. Joker had the Batman prisoner. She had hoped that the news were all false, part of a plan from Batman to bait an overconfident Clown, but the Jester spoke with authority. He spoke as if he had been there to see the Detective cringe with his own eyes, and there was no reason for the Joker to be lying.

"Don't know what you're talking about." She quickly lied.

Joker set his cup brusquely on the saucer and frowned at the reporter. "You lie to me once more, Ms. Vale and we'll find out in how many pieces we can cut a kid before I get to the sweet center. I don't like been taken for a fool…"

"I really don't know ..."

"Humbug. But if I can make a personal comment Vick, I don't blame you for falling in love with the man. He is a handsome piece of meat, isn't he? Now I need you to be a good girl and tell me how you got the attention of the most wanted Detective in Gotham. What did you do to trap him?" Joker said resting his head on his hand.

"You lost me…"

"Come on, Vick. It can't be just your looks. You're so….so….so plain." The reported looked at him resentfully. Then Clown went on. "It has to be something else. What does the Bat see in you?"

"If you are so curious to know, why don't you ask him personally?"

"Believe me, I have, but he refuses to tell me anything. Actually, he opts to ignore me completely. He doesn't' even want to eat for me." Joker let out sadly as a somber shadow envelope his otherwise smiling face. The Jester took another sip from his cup. "So well, what's your secret?"

_YES, the Gazette was right. Joker had kidnapped Batman, _Vicky just stared in awe at the Joker. She was in the verge of the most incredible news, as confessed by the madman who had subdued the Dark Knight, but somehow she found the facts terrifying. What did this mad had to do to defeat the greatest detective on Earth? And what could he do to her? Now if only she could decipher where this conversation was heading…

"No…I….er." She started to stutter.

"Come on, come on. Don't keep me in this suspense." Joker urged as he leaned over expectantly.

"The Batman," Vicky tried to inquire more on the subject. "Is he really your prisoner? Is he alive?"

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? I am the one asking the questions here and you were going to tell me how to snare the Bat's attention?"

"It's because no one has heard of the Batman and we were all wondering-"

"Didn't you get the memo I sent to Gotham Gazette? Maybe you should start reading the competition, dear. And just to clarify, he's not my prisoner but my guest. You press people are so quick to judge." Joker responded disdainfully.

_Whatever Clown. Everybody knows you don't have guests but either prisoners or victims,_ Vicky thought to herself. _But if you want to play this game…_

"And the children are also your guests?"

"No, they are a pain in my ass. You know how much food a kid can consume in a day? I think it is cheaper to keep an elephant troop. Oh and all that whining…"

"What do you plan on doing with them?"

Joker remained silent for a moment and then started to drum his fingers at the edge of the table. Vicky realized she was pushing the subject.

"Is this your interview or mine?" Joker asked, and the reporter remained silent. "Thought so, now if you are so kind and get back to my previous question…how do I make the Bat pay attention to me."

"Believe me, Batman has all your attention. Especially when you start killing people."

"You mean I have the attention of his fists. He always ends up breaking something: a rib, a wrist, has even given me a concussion or two. I don't want to talk to him like that, I want to you know, have a normal conversation for once."

"Maybe if you'd just listen to him when he had warned you to surrender-"

"Is that what you do…listen? But he doesn't say much, does he?"

"If you stopped killing people and looked around you, you'd realize that there are a lot of people saying a lot of things to you."

"Most of them not very nice, I must admit." Joker said pointing at the nurse's body on the floor. Vale frowned.

"And what about the people that have begged you for their lives and you just…didn't listen?"

Joker ran a hand to his chest. "Am I…are you saying this is all my fault?"

"Why don't you ask him? He would speak more if he didn't find it hard to get into psychopaths' heads through oratory. Instead, he speaks in a language even YOU can understand."

Joker took offense on the comment and it showed as his visage darkened with a frown. "I don't like your tone, Vicky."

"And I don't like you. Guess that makes us even." There was a long moment of tense silence. Joker then took a long sip of tea and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"You are a brave woman. Any other time, and this conversation would be over and I don't mean it kindly. Today you're lucky. I feel magnanimous so let's just make the best of it and I promise I'd be gone before you can say "Coooookie Crisps."

"Then tell me what it is you want with me."

"A word of advice from one Bat-fan to another. I want to speak with Batman but he doesn't talk back. How can I make him talk to me?"

"That is your problem, Joker. You want to force others to bend over for your demented whims and forget to just ask nicely."

"Ask nicely? I said please and he just ignored me."

"Maybe he has his own reasons to not talk to you. You usually would not listen anyway."

"I usually a very patient man, Ms. Vale, but your arrogant bravado is starting to bother me. Please don't force me to do something we're gonna both regret." Joker pulled the cuffs of his shirt and adjusted his red tie neatly around his neck. "You say I talk too much. Do I really?"

"Nonstop. Have you ever stopped and listen to yourself?"

"No. I just say what I need to say…." Joker made a pause to think and offered the plate with cupcakes to the reported that immediately refused it. "…and maybe some more. You know, you might be into something here."

Vickly sighed. "You think?"

"Yes, maybe I should watch what I say. Many times I get carried away by my own genius." Joker saw Vale pat herself on the head and shake it gently. "What?"

"I don't know….maybe." Vicky folded her arms around her, over her chest. "Joker…why are you asking me this…?

"Innocent curiosity." The Clown Prince said with a shrug. "So tell me, you think that he dislikes the fact that I talk too much?"

"If you would have been listening to this conversation I think we'd covered at least three reasons why he would not want to talk to you.'

Joker looked troubled. "Other…reasons?"

"You know, your disregard for human life, your egocentric view of the world, your demented idea that murder is fun, do I need to continue?"

"And if I was, hypothetically speaking…nothing like that, you think he would care to speak to me?"

"Well prob— You say what?"

What did THAT come from? The Joker was admitting that he was wrong in the way he behaved? That was a new one for the records, and why was he so persistent on the idea that he needed Batman to talk to him? This conversation was taking a weird tone. Everybody knew that Joker had fun teasing the Batman because he hated what the Batman was: Order. Something that had no space in Joker's world, but now it sounded like Joker had a physical need to have the Batman show his interest on him…why? Then the craziest thought came to the reporter's head: Did Joker saw the Batman as more than his adversary? Maybe like a game partner, a playmate or maybe like something else entirely?

And why all of a sudden this conversation was taking a sour taste?

"Hellooo," Joker said waving a gloved hand in front of an abstracted reporter. "Now who's not listening? That is very rude, you know?

"I…I am sorry I was just thinking."

"I hope you were because you still need to answer my question."

"Question?" she answered automatically, when she realized the Clown was expecting an answer to his strange question. "I suppose…so"

"But he fell for Garfield's girlfriend. And she's a criminal like me. If he abhors what we do, why would he-?"

"You're comparing yourself to Catwoman?"

"No, I'm trying to say that she behaves as bad as I do and still—"

"Joker, nobody behaves like you. You are out of your mind."

Joker rose angrily from his chair."I AM NOT THAT CRAZY, WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT THE BATMAN CAN SEE IN A WOMAN LIKE YOU OR THE CAT, WHILE I TRY EVERYTHING I CAN IMAGINE AND THE BAT DOESN'T EVEN LOOK IN MY DIRECTION. IT'S LIKE…LIKE I DON'T EXIST FOR HIM. I FEEL LIKE A GHOST AND IT'S NOT NICE TO FEEL THAT WAY" Joker made a pause to get some air in the middle of his screaming. "YOU MUST HAVE SOMETHING, EAT SOMETHING, WEAR SOMETHING OR SECRETE SOMETHING THAT GETS THE BATMAN ALL ROWDY ON YOUR CASE…AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS!"

Vicky remained silent looking at the raging clown. Was he trying to say that he had feelings for the Batman and that the Detective's total lack of interest in these feelings was bothering him? What was going on in here? Was the Joker jealous? Was this the reason why he had kidnapped the Batman, to have him close to him, even if it was unwillingly? And what about the children…what part do the Kiwanis play in all that?

"Are you listening to yourself? That is the craziest thing I've heard you ever say."

"And maybe I should show you what's the craziest thing I can do as well, shouldn't I?" Joker's smile disappeared as he frowned.

"Go ahead. That's what you do, isn't it?"

Joker was taken aback by the answer. This was not what he was expecting. He tried to find a reprise when he pushed himself against the chair.

"This conversation is over. This was a waste of time. You disappointed me Vicky."

"And you disappoint me as well. For a brief moment I thought I saw something more in you than the demented psychopath you are, but it's obvious I was mistaken. Now you are going to do what you do best and take your anger and your frustration onto another innocent victim while you imagine it's funny. Why don't you finish what you started? Give Batman one more reason to hate you." Vale pointed at the nurse's body on the floor.

"Hate me? He hates me?" The Clown laughter, but this time his laughter was different…nervous and forced. " No…he doesn't…does he?"

"What is so funny?"

Joker's laughter subsided slowly. "He doesn't hate me. Actually he needs me. I give meaning to his crime fighting persona."

"You are really crazy, unfortunately beyond help. What makes you think that?"

"He...he made me. Isn't that obvious?" Joker said plainly. The look in Vicky's eyes pierced though him like a hot knife and for the first time, he felt vulnerable. He didn't like feeling this way so it was time to leave. He stood and turn to pick the jacket from the back of the chair. He dusted the shoulders and started silently towards out of the kitchen when he heard Vicky calling at him.

"Joker…do you have feelings for the Batman?" She finally asked after she saw the terrified look in the Joker's eyes.

He just stared back at her. He felt naked; showing off his most private parts to Vicky Vale. After this all of Gotham will know, he thought. He was going to be in the news. He could see the headlines in his mind…this was getting off hand.

"I have…an admiration for the man just like you." Joker said simply. Not a hint of emotion in his inflection that indicated shame or concern. "He is quite the man…you know?"

The Jester turned to look at the reporter with his carved smile widening perversely. "You on the other hand, Ms. Vale…I don't know how I feel about you. You've been saying things about me behind my back. Nasty things." The Clown Prince giggled. "Naughty, naughty, naughty. Maybe it's time I teach you a lesson on respect…what you think, Vicky?"

"I am not afraid to die, Joker." Vale said defiantly.

"I know that, and dying is not what I had in mind." Joker rested his head on his hand and giggled. "I was thinking of something much more fun. A makeover. Those are popular in TV these days you know."

"What are you talking about?"

"Yeah…I can work wonders in that department." The Jester said absentmindedly. "Allow me to illustrate."


	13. Transformations

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's Note: **_Hello to everybody and once more...(for the umpteenth time)...thank you for your support. This story would not be what it is if it wasn't because of all of you out there who want to read. Well, Thanks to all of you that have left your reviews, they are really appreciated. My apologies for the gramatical blunders you may find here, I really try my best to make sure this story is as easy to read as possible. I still would like to find a beta for this story. You guys deserve it. So if you're interested, feel free to drop me an email or a PM, whatever suits you best. Though I am not going to be as strict as before, I would prefer someone who has written something in this forum, but we can work the details over the emails._

**Chapter 13: Transformations**

Ever since he returned from the meeting with the reporter, Joker couldn't eat a single bite. The only thing he could do was to swirl his fork through the rice as he thought of a reason to waste an otherwise nice plate of Chinese fried rice. He just didn't have any appetite, so he decided on skipping dinner altogether, and go straight to bed. Maybe rest is all he needed...

Rest...as if he could just stop thinking of the details that surfaced form the little conversation he had with Vicky Vale. She called him arrogant, egocentric and with the total inability to listen to others. That didn't make him happy. He could not help it if he was more intelligent than the average mortal, had too much joy to spread to this world to keep silent for long, and he didn't think that centering life on his persona was such a bad thing. After all, he had a divine mission to make this city smile, and to make his bat better by pushing him to his limits. He had a Holy mission to accomplish.

But hearing the reporter say that the Batman hated him was the straw that broke the Clown's back and his jolly world came crashing down in an avalanche. He could not bear the thought of his favorite costumed hero hating him, and for what…making other people laugh? That was not a crime, was it?

The Joker grabbed his pillow in a choke lock as he lay on his right side and tried to close his eyes, but in his mind's eye he was still reproducing highlights of the meeting, like a high definition movie and for the first time the images brought him shame. The Jester had let his emotions run amok and take over himself as if he was an immature pubescent schoolboy with a crush in the most beautiful girl of the class in front of Vale. Stupid, stupid…very stupid.

_She'd probably laugh at me, but what the heck. I will have the last laugh_, Joker thought as he tried to understand how the man that he cares the most for would hate him for trying to bring some joy to his life. It was child's play and the true was that he had not cared to ask the Bat how he felt. For all he knew, Vale could be right and the only thing Batman felt for him was disgust. If that was the case none of this would work…ever.

Maybe his problem was really the listening. Never had to do it before, since he always thought he was right, but now, he even doubted he was doing the right thing. It was all a contradiction. He wanted the Bat beside him, but had to chain him to a post in a dark damp basement, he wanted the Knight to notice him, but he never let him talk and tell him what he expected.

He remembered a woman, long ago. One that made him feel this way he felt with the Batman, and he could not recall having to chain her to a bedpost, or impose himself over her will. She stayed with him because she wanted to, because she felt safe beside him, because she loved him. Doing that to another being would drive them away instead of closer and hatred was definitely a possibility…

He turned over on the bed, facing the ceiling and wrapped the pillow behind his head. Feeling…it had been so long since he had felt anything, whenever he allowed himself to feel at all. Why was it that difficult to feel the right thing…?

"Because you're addicted to your pain." Joker said to a whisper, repeating the words he had heard on the shower and he swore where the Batman's.

"I'm not addicted to pain." The Clown told himself trying to believe what he was saying. How could he be addicted to his pain when all he wanted to do was make people laugh? Laugh hysterically, until they die. He even wanted to put a large smile on the Batman… that would have been his greatest accomplishment. He then realized that though he might be smiling from the outside…there was pain deep inside. It was a sorrow that lurked underneath that permanent grin and in the bottom of his soul and that deep within, he was really crying. Where did that pain come from?

He felt so lonely. When he had lost everything valuable in his life…what else could he do? Cry in a corner like a scared baby or laugh it up and make lemonade from his lemons? No. He did the only thing that he could do and gave up his sanity. The madness had allowed him to create a façade and he had been hiding behind it all his life. He had forgotten who he was and reinvented himself anew, because he was scared of what he was and he was scared of his pain. He covered his life with a fake feeling of bliss and forced comedy…that now did not fill him and had isolated him even more from society. Even worse, it pushed him away from the Bat.

He had not been able to relate his pain and his sorrow with anybody else, not even Harley. Nobody understood how it felt to be...Joker. That is the reason why he was so lonely and he's only hope was that the Batman would understand how he felt. After all what could make a man dress up like a rodent and terrorize people at night but pain and an inner rage that was difficult to control. Pain would understand pain. Rage would understand rage.

"But this is not fun…." He said as he turned over once more to lie on his left side. He wrapped an arm around his torso like a hug. "…I don't like feeling this way. If he hates me, what have I left to do? Everything I've done, I have done for him. I have made him what he is, just like he made me what I am."

And his pain now was definitely not funny…it was hurting, and when he was hurting...he had to make others feel his pain as well. It has always been that way with him, but now, causing pain threatened to enlarge the deep gap that already existed between Joker and the Batman. It woill be one more thing for what the Batman would hate him and he could not let it happen because this time he would have lost his soul mate...and he will be alone again.

"My God…what have I done?" Joker told his pillow as he buried his face in shame against the soft purple linen. The reporter had stated that Batman didn't like Joker causing any more pain, and it seemed to be true. Vicky had also said that the Batman really hated him for causing so much pain. If so, trying to gain the Knight's trust was a lost battle. No, he couldn't let that happen,

_**'Come on, make one more thing for Batman to hate you.'**_ He heard Vicky Vale's voice again in his mind, like a broken record, and he couldn't help to shrink down to the size of an amoeba, because if it was true that the Knight loathed him…it would have been his fault. If it was true, and his lover hated him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself because he will be the only one to blame. It meant that no matter what he did, he will always be alone, and he didn't want to be alone anymore. He didn't deserve to be alone, he just needed to be understood and above all, he thought the Knight would understand him best, after all they were not that dissimilar.

He stopped trying to go to sleep. That was not going to happen until he face his demons face to face and faced the man he had made his prisoner. He needed to hear from him exactly what he wanted, and this time he would do his best to listen and to understand.

He had no other choice.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Robin waited patiently for the police to finish their interview with Vicky Vale after her ordeal at the hands of the Clown Prince of Crime. He had known she was going to be a target, but had been slow in protecting her when she needed him most. Batman would be disappointed. The Joker had had the opportunity to kidnap the reporter for a one of a kind interview and for reasons known only to the Jester instead of killing her, just released her badly bruised up, wearing clown makeup, and bright green hair. The Clown didn't even bother of using Joker venom on her as he had used on the late Mrs. Peddleton.

The officers started to leave the room. Vicky was relieved from the full room, for she really wanted to rest comfortably to start the healing process. She was visually tired. Her eyes were sleepy and there were dark circles around them accentuated even more by the black clown makeup around them, courtesy of a jolly crazy clown.

Robin noted that beside her was a very large arrangement of red roses; two dozen of Barcelona roses, very rare variety in this side of the country, all this was nicely arranged in a basket of green foliage and purple wildflowers. That was one expensive arrangement. Someone really cared for the reported to go these extents to brighten her day.

Gordon was heading out of the room, when he turned to the reporter on her hospital bed. "I will post a guard to escort you 24/7, Ms. Vale. For your own good…the Clown might try to finish what he started with you at a later time."

"I appreciate your concern, Commissioner," she said with her voice slightly muffled over a swollen jaw. "But I don't think he wants me dead. He could have killed me if he wanted and I'm not afraid of the Clown."

"I still recommend caution, Ms. Vale. He did not kill you now, but believe me, he'd be back in a flash if he thought you have become a thorn in his side."

Vicky sighed. "All right. But I'm a reporter and I can't do my job properly if I have to drag a police escort."

"My men will not get in your way, Ms. Vale, but if I was you…I would step down on reporting about the Joker until we have the madman in custody. For your own safety." Gordon put on his hat and nodded politely. "Have a good day."

The Commissioner finally left the room and Tim finally walked closer to Vicky Vale. He knew her probably better than anybody in the police department or the Gazette, because she had been really close to the Caped Crusader once and even the possibility of marriage between her and the millionaire playboy had hit the tabloids. Beside Vicky's bed, a doctor was taking notes on his chart.

"You will have to rest now, Ms. Vale." The doctor said putting the chart aside. "We're doing our best to help but…"

"Why don't you give it to me straight doctor…? After what I've been through I think I can take it."

The doctor grabbed the chart and made some scribbles on it, as if avoiding the question altogether. He then looked at the reporter. "Well, the makeup Joker used on you penetrated the epidermis most outer layers, much like a tattoo does and the hair dye he used is so strong…my guess is that your hair might always retain a hue of green."

"Are you saying this is permanent?" Vicky asked pointing at her face.

"No, not permanent…at least I don't think so, but it's definitely not something you can wash off with soap. I estimate that the makeup, like henna tattooing, should wear off by itself in a few months, as the layers of the skin peel off. You should consider yourself lucky…he could have added Joker Venom to the concoction and that combination would have been lethal."

The reporter rubbed her face as if trying to wipe off the white makeup from her face with her hands. No such luck. She started to sob.

"Great…now I look like a demented clown for who knows how long."

"We're working hard to fix your problem. There might be a faster way of removing the makeup harmlessly."

Vicky lifted a shaky hand. "Leave me alone. Please."

The doctor nodded and left the room. Tim, who had waited patiently for the room to empty, grabbed a chair and pulled it over by the bed.

"You know Joker was just toying with you, right?" Robin said sitting just a few inches from her bed. At this distance the swollen face was obvious as well as the black eye, even over the extremely white complexion. In her face, a macabre grin was painted in bright red dye. "Next time you might not be that lucky."

"I'll be fine. It's just that…THIS is going to take a while to get used to." Vale said running fingers through her green matted hair.

"You're brave." Tim said with a smile. "You stood your ground in front of him. That takes courage."

"I didn't do anything extraordinary. I just made him mad, and he took his revenge by making me look like him. This… this is just disgusting. I can't even look at myself in the mirror."

"But you're alive." Tim put a hand over the reporters pale fingers. Each one adorned with brightly green painted nail polish. Vicky turned to look beside her and looked sadly at the floral arrangement.

"And I'm scared to death. You should've seen what he did to Mrs. Peddleton… then to his henchman. I do not doubt he would have killed the kid too if he wanted." Vicky made a short pause and looked sadly to her bruised hands. From her right one IV line connected to some intravenous fluids that dripped slowly. "The doctor is right…Joker could have used his toxin on me. Instead he just limited himself to beat me and make me look as macabre as he does, maybe forever. It was horrible. Don't know if looking like this is any better than being dead."

"Then why did you tell Gordon you didn't need an escort?"

"Because I don't think it's going to make a difference in the outcome. If Joker wants to kill me, he will and the Police Department can't do anything to stop him."

"You are not giving Gordon and his men credit…"

Vicky turned around to look at the large floral arrangement by her side and grabbed the purple note attached to it. She held firmly onto the note.

"Don't you think those roses are pretty?" She said looking at the arrangement again. "They were delivered this morning."

Robin looked at the arrangement. "Yes, they are. What's wrong with them?"

Vicky extended the card to Robin

_Dear Ms. Vale,_

_Thanks for the lovely evening and enlightening meeting. We need to do this again under less…hostile circumstances. Hope you have an uneventful recovery. Take some time off…on me, but please, forget me not, though I think you will remember me every time you look at yourself in the mirror. See you around sometime, maybe over some nice green tea._

_Your number one admirer…Joseph Kerr_

"Who is Joseph Kerr...?" Tim made a pause. "Good grief! Joe Kerr, these flowers came from Joker?

"Yes, personal delivery while I was sleep." Vicky said as tears started to fall down her cheeks. She was slowly breaking down.

"That son of a-! Vicky, why didn't you tell the police?"

"What, that the psychopath sent me flowers? I don't think they will be able to trace his delivery ayways. If he wants to get closer to me again, nothing will stop him. See what I'm telling you?" She said looking angrily at the flower arrangement. They were indeed beautiful, but the knowledge that the Joker might have touched them, made her stomach tighten. The flower arrangement was now contaminated, impure. How could someone so evil, send something so innocent and beautiful? "I don't think that Gordon wants to hear that the Clown can play with his department at his leisure. Like I said…What Joker wants, Joker gets and if he wants me dead…he will have me killed no matter what".

"Now I'm concerned." Robin said

"Don't be. I'll be fine. He does not scare me anymore." Vicky made a short pause, It seemed that the next set of words were difficult to enunciate. "It's Batman who worries me."

"Vicky …what do you mean?"

"Joker was trying to get information from me about Batman." She responded solemnly. "He somehow knows that him and I were very close together, and not just professionally. The Clown admitted that much. Then he asked me what I did to get the Detective's attention."

"Did he say why?" Tim asked surprised by the Joker's inquiry. Why did he need to get the Batman's attention? That was an unusual question.

Vicky looked at Tim with saddened eyes. "Robin…I think Joker has feelings for Batman."

"That's obvious. He hates him for thwarting so many of his plans."

"No, no. He doesn't hate him…he is-I don't know how to say this. I think he's in love with him or something." Vicky could see the surprise in the young crime fighter's eyes. "He has this crazy delusion that Batman made him, and he has a personal and holy mission with him. He said he needed to make his Bat stronger. To make him understand that they both are…how did he say it. That they belong to each other. At least that's what I got by reading between his ramblings."

"It's not that I doubt you, but are you sure he said that?"

"Yes, and what worries me is what Joker is going to do when he sees that he is not corresponded. Joker is crazy, you know it, and he is capable of the most horrendous things if provoked. I am concerned for Batman's safety much more than I am concerned for mine."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Commissioner Gordon met Detective Renee Montoya in the parking lot. Her face was weary and reflected the few hours of sleep she had been having these last few days. The fact that the city lacked the impressive presence of the Caped Crusader in the streets had turned the neighborhoods in real infernos. Everywhere in the whole city, crime had escalated over three hundred percent, a rate that not even Robin and the rest of the Bat-team had been able to stop from rising. The city was in turmoil, everything was chaos, and he had to thank a psychopathic clown for the free dose of mayhem.

"If you have a report Renee…I hope it is good news." Gordon said weakly as he ran a hand over his moustache. "God knows we need some good news."

"Sorry sir, but no good news here. Joker got to the building and gassed Ms Peddleton's entire floor. He did the same thing with the floor underneath. Silent death but efficient. He left fourteen people dead this time and not a single lead as to where he came from."

"But Mrs. Peddleton's son survived…"

"He came back from school after his mother was killed and was received by one of the Joker's henchmen in his mother apartment. Poor kid…didn't know that his mother had been killed until after Joker left. He was playing videogames in his room with one of Joker's henchmen."

"Check Ms. Vale's emails and telephone calls. Joker set up the meeting, maybe he left a trace we could track…in the meantime, make sure we assign somebody to be very close to her twenty-four hours a day. "

"But sir, she clearly stated she didn't want any-."

"And I'm sure that the Joker was just giving her a warning this time and knowing Ms. Vale, she is not going to stay back from lashing after the clown, especially after what he did. She is still a target and I want her protected at all cost."

"Yes, sir…"

"And Renee…please take the rest of the day off and get some rest. You look exhausted …I need you to be in top shape."

"Do I look that bad...?" Montoya responded with a hint of a smile when they were surprised by a loud rumble.

There was a loud explosion a few blocks away from the hospital, so loud, that it made the ground shake under Gordon's feet. In no time the streets were covered with a grayish haze and there were sirens and screaming people heard in the distance. Gordon cussed under his breath….

"I think I'm going to have to take a rain check on that offer, Commissioner, but thanks for the thought." Renee said increasing the pace to keep up with the commissioner that had started to walk towards his police car.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Harley sat on the edge of the balcony looking towards the west where the last rays of the sun, had disappeared behind the horizon. Venus, the evening star, shone brightly beside a three quarter crescent moon that had started to glow brightly above her head. Venus, goddess of sexual love and beauty, she thought as she started to think of the Joker. She couldn't forget how he had asked her to make love to him and how needy he had sounded that night, much like a lonely child who needed his mother beside him.

"Mistah J has an unpredictable temper, Harl, you know that." She whispered to herself when she realized she was trying to justify the Joker's abuse. She frowned angrily at her naiveté's. The Jester had been ill-tempered all his life, but she noted that his fuse seemed shorter every time she was around him, as if she somehow triggered something bad in him. This was nothing new to her. "That's what yeh get for falling insanely in love with a psychopath."

She felt ashamed and let a tear escape her eye. Instead of running away from him to cry her sorrows on someone else's shoulder, she should have faced him and put him in his place. Angry or not, that is not a way of treating another human being. Playing with other people's emotions was not fun, especially when she was the one who ended up hurting... But then, Joker always loved playing games. He played them with the city, he played them with the police and he played them with the Batman. Now he was probably playing games with the Kiwanis as well. Why would it be any different with her? When was he going to settle down and understand that you don't toy with other people's emotions?

Probably never.

He never knew when to stop playing around, an attitude that usually led him to make a large mistake somewhere only to be returned to the Asylum for a long time. _He is going to be even lonelier in there_, she thought to herself lowering her eyes, with guilt. No matter how hard she tried not to think of him, he was always in her brain. She saw a thin metal wire lying on top of the small table behind her. It was half the width of a pencil and not longer than a three or four inches long and sharpened on one end. She reached for the piece of metal and started to play with it between her fingers. Using the sharp edge of the wire, she started to scrape absentmindedly into the balcony rail.

She needed to do something to get him out of her head. Pamela was right. She had taken too much abuse from him in the past and she deserved better, but he was one of those things that was difficult to forget. He had taught her to see the world in a whole new different way and though she did not completely agree that murder was always funny, she has laughed at his side and she had been free. But was she really free? No, she was a prisoner of her addiction to the Clown.

Now that she was staying here with Ivy and away from him, she realized how much of a slave she had been beside him. A slave to his violence. Ivy offered the same freedom she had with him, but there was no violence associated with it. Ivy really cared for her. Then why couldn't she feel completely happy here?

Harley looked around the balcony and noted the small seedling tray with the tiny snapdragons fighting over a severed human finger. She grimaced. No matter how many times she had seen Ivy caring for her plants, the thought of plants feeding in human body parts was just disgusting, like a scene taken from the body snatchers or some other low grade horror movie. Using the thin wire in her hand, she tried to pry the finger away from the hungry plants who fought fiercely to keep the finger. It was then that she heard steps behind her. She hid the wire in a nearby empty flowering pot and turned around trying to look innocently at the plants as she saw Pamela approaching her.

"What's wrong Harley?" Ivy said as she pulled her red mane into a ponytail.

"Nothing, why?"

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Oh it's just the moonlight, makes me look paler…" She improvised with a large forced smile on her face, but she didn't sound too convincing.

Pamela walked over the snapdragons that now were finishing off their feast and leaned over them tenderly. She baby talked to them, like the caring mother she was. "Harley, I know you and I don't bite. You can tell me, really."

"Nothing Red, you just startled me while I was in deep meditation."

She turned around to face Harley when she saw the freshly etched metal of the balcony rail with the Clown's name. Her eyes filled up with sadness.

"In deep meditation, Harley? You were thinking of him, weren't you?"

"Thinking of whom, Red? I was just thinking of how free I feel now that I'm here with you."

Pamela Isley sighed and pointed at the etched name. "And who wrote that name in my balcony?"

Harley looked down at the rail and noted the evidence of her crime. Even on her unconscious mind she couldn't take the Joker off her brain cells. He was engraved in her neurons as permanently as she had engraved the Clown's name on Ivy's property.

"Red….I…"

Ivy raised a hand. "Harley, who are you trying to fool? You still love him. He is in your dreams."

"I'm really trying to forget him, Pammy, I'm trying really hard." Harley cried.

"You cannot fool love, Harley. He, even being the undeserving son of a bitch he is, has captured your heart. That is the strongest binding force in the world. Trying to deny that is like denying that your eyes are blue. Not very convincing don't you think?" Harley lowered her gaze in shame. "No, Harley. Don't be ashamed. It's Ok. We cannot control who we fall in love with."

"But you said…"

"Forget what I said and listen to what your heart tells you. I'm not going to go anywhere. I'll always be here for you." She made a short pause as if to gather strength to go on with the words. "Even if you chose him over me, I understand what it is to be so much in love with someone, darling. That it is all you can think of. Been there before, you know?"

"But he doesn't respect me… I don't even think he loves me at all." Harley bellowed while her eyes filled with tears.

"Now that is an improvement, darling." Pamela said putting a tender arm around Harley's shoulder. "It's good to know that you are still in touch with reality. And once you know where you stand, you know where you go."

"Ivy…you said he didn't deserve me."

"And I agree. You need something better, but your heart is still snared by that ghastly smile of his. You need to know if he is willing to give you a chance or not and the only way you will probably know for good is if it comes from his mouth. You have to hear him say that he doesn't love you…only then you will believe it. Then you know what you need to do. Go, confront him once and for all and open your heart to a new love. But you need to face him, bravely and with no tears in your eyes. Just stand in front of him and tell him that you need to hear how he feels about you."

"He's gonna laugh…"

Pamela held Harley's face in her hands. "Listen to you, now. You are better than him, Harl. He can't make you feel bad without your concern. Be persistent until you get your answer. If he opts to ignore you, well, that will be his loss, but at least you will know you're not part of his life and you will be able to take the next step with a steady foot."

Harley peered at Ivy with some curiosity. "And what about you?"

Pamela let go of the Harley and walked back to her plants. "What about me?"

"Red…now who's lying about her feelings?"

"Oh, I'm not lying. I still feel strongly for you, but because I love you I have to set you free. You are a special girl, Harley, but you need to be free to do what your heart tells you to do. To be able to love someone else, be it me or not, you first have to be free from the Joker's spell. It will be selfish on my part if I forced you to stay here. Besides, we are still best friends, aren't we?"

"You're super, Red." Harley squealed joyfully as she jumped over Pamela making her loose her balance. Both women fell on the floor and started to laugh. Harley leaned over and held Ivy's right hand tight. Pamela smiled and after sliding closer she kissed Harley tenderly on the forehead. This is the role she was supposed to meet in her friend's life. She was the Big Sister, always looking after her younger sibling, and she loved being able to help Harley feel better about herself, give her the courage to be whatever she wanted to be.

"You're a good girl, Harley. Don't let anybody else tell you any different, OK?"


	14. A Piece of my Soul

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's Note: **_Hello to everybody and once more...(for the umpteenth time)...thank you for your support. This story would not be what it is if it wasn't because of all of you out there who want to read. Well, Thanks to all of you that have left your reviews, they are really appreciated. My apologies for the gramatical blunders you may find here, I really try my best to make sure this story is as easy to read as possible. I still would like to find a beta for this story. You guys deserve it. So if you're interested, feel free to drop me an email or a PM, whatever suits you best. Though I am not going to be as strict as before, I would prefer someone who has written something in this forum, but we can work the details over the emails._

_About the story...This is the story of two individuals getting to know themselves and know each other so they can understand why is it that they belong with each other. For those trying to get Playboy Channel...wrong channel. Please, let this characters take you through their emotional changes, and guide you though their triumphs and failures...they're smiles and their tears. I tried to make these character as HUMAN as possible, and yes...human sexuality is part of human nature so you will see some action, but be patient. Every action and reaction is subordinated to the plot. One thing I apologize for...this chapter is quite long. It took me hours to go over it trying to trim and condense it, but I really wanted to give you a clear pictures of what goes through the mind of the protagonists while still trying to be true to their natures. Hope I succeded on making these characters as 'real' for you as they are 'real' for me._

_Lastly. Please, let me hear you. I love to hear your opinions, complaints, critiques, in one word... SPEAK OUT because I'M LISTENING_ even if you don't like the story, you are entitled to express your opinion and I am obligued to respect it, so go ahead and let your voice be heard.

_Now enjoy the chapter...that I would like to dedicate to the anomymous readers. Thanks guys for your support!_

**Chapter 14: A PIECE OF MY SOUL**

Batman heard the door of the basement open slowly and a pair of footsteps that slowly approached him. He thought it was highly unusual for Lou or Punch, to come down here this late at night. Still, he needed to stop the preparations for his escape and pretend he was asleep. He put the small device he was working on under his pillow and set down to sleep covering himself with the blanket.

The Detective lay very still on the floor of the cage, covered in the wool blanket and barely breathing while all his senses focused in the strange nocturnal visitor. He had hoped it would be one of the children, that had ventured by himself into the basement to satisfy his or her curiosity. God knows he needed an ally in this hell, and if he could organize the kids, he could save them all after taking care of the Clown and his gang. Bruce opened his eyes very slightly and glanced quickly beside him when he noticed a pair of purple bunny slippers staring back.

"Bats." He heard a voice speak in a playful falsetto. "Wake up, Bats."

_Not a winner, Bruce, that's Joker_.' Batman thought as he ignored the Jester and didn't move for a long time. He wasn't in the mood to hear the Clown tonight. The voice called to him again and he just limited himself to moan and turn away. It was too late to listen to the rants of a delusional madman, Batman thought. Maybe he would go away. The Clown snorted indignantly and stomped his foot on the floor.

"FINE! Ignore me all you want then. I'm gonna go and kill me some small kids instead." The footsteps started to fade away and quickly stopped again. Bruce turned very slightly on the floor, still faking been asleep, just to have a chance to get an inconspicuous look at the Jester. The Clown Prince had stopped by the wall about a dozen feet away. He set both hands over the exposed brick on the wall and caressed it softly with his naked hands. The Batman noted that the Clown Prince had a sudden chill and pushed himself off the wall as if it was electrified.

"No, no…I'm not serious. I am not going to hurt anybody. I promise." Joker's breathing was fast as he was nervous, maybe even…afraid? "But I can't sleep, and I know you can't either. You're trying to find a way out of here, how can you sleep?"

'_And you're going to do something to prevent me from doing just that, aren't you maniac?_ Bruce thought. His muscles tensed under the blanket. If Joker was going to try and drug him again, he will fight it and the Clown will regret it. This looked like it was going to be a long night…

"You know Bats, this thing between us is not working as well as I expected." Joker said sadly turning around and reclining his back against the brick wall. He sighed and slid himself down to the floor. The Detective could see the Jester's Sponge Bob pajama pants and bright yellow shirt, which the Clown wore open to expose his very pale chest. The Jester's face looked hardened and saddened; his cheeks were very prominent and large dark circles around his eyes confirmed that he had not been sleeping well lately. The Joker looked unusually thin and tired. He pulled something from one of the pockets of his pants and started to play with it between his hands. The ripping sound clued the Detective that he was shuffling a deck of cards. "I think I know why."

The Jester cut the deck in his hands several times…the sound of the shuffled deck was the only sound echoing in the basement for the longest time. Then the Joker went on. "You said I wasn't able to give back and at the beginning, I didn't understand. Now I know what you meant…I don't want to give anything. Not because I can't, but because I'm afraid. I am afraid you'd hate me and hence be lost to me."

Batman listened attentively.

"Yes. I know what you're thinking. I am totally out of my mind, and make no sense, but let me tell you something." Joker continued as he kept shuffling the cards absentmindedly in his hands. "For the first time ever, everything is making sense. And the truth is that I don't want you to hate me, I never wanted for you to hate me."

Batman heard the Clown sniffle. "It happened once to me, you know? My father, the kids at school. All hated me for reasons that are not important now, but I remember how awful that felt. That's the important thing and I don't want to feel like that again, because I felt…so lonely." Joker stopped shuffling. "Until I fell in love. That was the best time of my life and I did not feel alone. I loved how it felt to get back home to someone who needed me as much as I needed her. Have you ever been in love, Bats?"

Batman remained silent, but attentive. Joker sighed and continued shuffling is deck. "I don't know who you are so I will assume that in your fake life you have had significant others. And you had lost them, because of who you are. I lost mine too Bats, because of what I am. It is a curse that followed me everywhere I went, as yours have all this time. And for me, losing her was something I could not take, so I gave it all up. Even my sanity."

"It was easier to not feel a thing. Just imagine the world as a big gag and me as the comedian bringing down the punch line. It was easier to take away from others; since killing is second nature to me. Then you show up and I knew you and I were so much alike. You are as angry as I am, and you are so dissatisfied with the world you live you create…well, you create the Bat. But you could be better. I knew then I had to make you better. Then we would be equals. Two sides of the same coin. You and me, my brother. My better half. And I don't want to lose that."

Joker let out a forced cackle. "Wish I could see the funny side of things but I can't anymore. Not when I know you are in a cage, like an animal. This is not what I had envisioned, you have to believe me."

There was a long and tense silence. Batman remained unmoving; more in awe while listening at his enemy speak in a rational almost sane tone rather than his usual ramblings. This was definitely an unexpected development, one that broke the detailed profile he had made of this madman.

"You're just being rude. Stop pretending you are asleep. I know you're listening." Joker said as his voice took an angry flavor. "HOW MANY PEOPLE DO I HAVE TO KILL BEFORE YOU STOP IGNORING ME?"

Joker sat back against the wall and ran both hands across his green mane, taming the wild curls that had started to attack his face. He was murmuring something to himself that sounded repetitive and almost mantric. The Clown finally giggled childishly to himself as he reclined against the wall again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that either," Joker said controlling his fast breathing. "But it seems that you and I can only interact when I'm hurting someone. While I'm at Arkham…you don't visit, don't write. You don't know how lonely I feel when you are not around me, Bats. Alone, caged…" Joker made a pause. "…like an animal. God, I'm doing the same you do to me."

"I came to think that you only cared for me when I was out there, playing my games. Because they were only games to bring you and me together and they worked all the time, didn't they? I schemed and planned everything very carefully just to bring you up to my level, make you earn your place beside me. The comedian and his straight man. But you never cared, did you? Your hatred blinded you."

"I hate and love—ask why—I can't explain;

I feel 'tis so, and feel it racking pain. (George Lamb)

"It hurts me…to have to treat you like this. I spoke to your reporter friend Vicky Vale and she showed me the truth. You hate me, just like my father did. She was right. And I don't know how to fix that. Do you?"

Joker stopped playing with the cards and pressed his open palm against his forehead. "Maybe I could start by shutting up for a while and just listen?"

Batman finally pushed the blanket away and sat, staring intently to the Jester at the corner.

"Let the children go and surrender to the police." The Knight said. Joker cocked his head and rested his face against a raise knee. Melancholy filled his eyes.

"Then they will put me back in the cage and I will lose you once more. Why do I have to be the one to always give up everything? I am tired of living inside an acrylic cage, aren't you tired of having to stay in one as well?

"_Give me more love, or more disdain;_

_The torrid or the frozen zone_

_Bring equal ease unto my pain;_

_The temperate affords me none;_

_Either extreme, of love or hate,_

_is sweeter than a calm state._

Joker went on after a long pause. "You prefer to see me locked away were I will not be seen or heard. You need to hide me because I embarrass you. After all I have tried to do to make you what you are, to give you the power you deserved. You really hate me, don't you?"

Another long silence followed.

"I don't hate you," Batman said in a low voice. He spoke very slowly as to make sure his words were clearly understood. "I hate what you do, because what you do hurts innocent people."

"Wow. That's the most word worthy thing you've said in days. Stinky told me you just wouldn't understand, but I didn't believe him."

"Stinky?"

Joker smiled softly and his eyes sparkled with childish joy as he searched in the pockets of his pajama pants and pulled out an old sock that had two green buttons sewn on for eyes and a tuft of green hair on top between the buttons. "Because what Vale said made more sense. I talk, and talk, and keep on talking without listening. I can't help it…is that enough reason to hate me?"

"You heard what I said…it is not you I hate and you have to tell me now. What did you do to Ms. Vale?

Joker looked down to the floor, his voice low and small. "Nothing."

"Joker, what did you do to the reporter?"

"Nothing really. It's not that important." The Joker retorted disdainfully and noted the frown in the Detective's face. "But if you REALLY must know we had some tea, and we chatted. And then I gave her a facelift, but not a permanent one, no sir. She should be out of the hospital by tomorrow."

"But you DID hurt her. That's what I hate about you, Joker. You hurt people and you don't care who you hurt."

"Ah, but I didn't kill her even when you very well know I could've," Joker stated triumphantly wagging an index finger as he rose and rushed to meet the man in the cage closer. "I could have… but I didn't, see? I taught her a lesson and gave her a reason to not forget me for quite some time. Where's the harm in some clown makeup and green hair dye, anyways?"

"You're missing the point, Joker…And since when you cared to spare one of your victims?" The Detective said angrily.

"Since she told me how much you hate it when I'm having too much fun. And I didn't miss the point…just, you know, bent the rules a little. Because Ms. Vale needed to be taught a lesson on respect….I don't appreciate it when people badmouth me publicly."

'I will add that one to your list…." Batman piped cynically.

"Don't mock me." Joker snapped.

"You are a living contradiction Joker." Batman said standing in his cage. "Don't want to be alone but you do everything you can to push everybody away. You don't want people to hate you, but you do everything people abhor. Wrong and right is just a jumble of nonsense to you."

"Rules are just bunch of nonsense. But you and I are beyond all that aren't we? I only care what you want."

"I want you to let the children go unharmed. Then I want you to go back-."

"-to the cage, alone and away where the world can't see me? I heard you, but you're not listening to me are you?" There was a long silence and Joker looked around the basement. "Where is Mr. Stinky? At least he listens to me."

"You think this is a game, don't you?" Batman said dryly.

"No! That is what I'm trying to tell you," Joker turned toward the cage again. "This is not funny anymore. Seeing you in that cage causes me pain and I dislike pain."

"Doesn't make sense…If you dislike pain….why do you enjoy inflicting it?"

"Because it was not my problem until now. Now it's me feeling pain and I don't like it. You see Bats, other people's pain always made me feel better. Eased my pain when everybody felt as miserable as I did and then I did not feel alone anymore." The Clown combed his green mane intensely while his eyes seemed lost in the immensity of the room. "My dad shared his frustration with everybody around him one whack at a time. It's what I know how to do, with the only difference, I do it with style and a punch line."

"Don't blame what you are on your parents, Joker." Batman responded angrily. He hated when people made excuses for their own mistakes. "You always had the choice of not repeating your parent's mistakes."

Joker knelt in front of the Batman. "I'm not blaming anybody. I'm just telling you how easily it is going back to what you know. Go back to the violence. You must understand. Your life is full of violence and what do you do? You spread that violence whenever you go. It is all you know."

"You don't know me Joker. I'm trying to stop the violence. Stop monsters like you from destroying the lives of the innocent people of this city."

"With even more violence. Nothing comes from nothing, Bats."

"I am nothing like you Joker!" Batman finally snapped furiously. "Stop trying to see me as your equal. We are not alike."

"If you want to keep believing that lie, it's your psychosis, Bats, but you are angry. Just like I am angry and we both lash at the world in our very own way. I call it comedy, you call it justice, but both come from a rage deep inside. It's a loneliness each of us forgets when we butt heads."

"You're crazy."

"And you are not? Because it is so normal to dress up as a rodent and jump from roof to roof and beat people up to a pulp, right?"

Batman listened carefully. He had had a loving father and a caring mother. In the Wayne house, the young Bruce was loved, and was taught to love back, but that one day was gone when his parents were murdered in front of him. Then it was only the rage, and Joker's words felt so close to his heart, but how? How could this madman know him as well as he knew himself? Joker is just one of the wackos murdering innocent people. Or was he something more?

"You can't begin to understand-."

"What…that someone tore your life apart and you decided get even? I was not always like this either. I tried to get away from what my dad taught me, and I met someone who for once trusted that I could do better. She encouraged me to be better."

Joker made a short pause and sighed before going on. "She nurtured my sick soul back to health. For once I was feeling something in my chest other than rage and when I thought my life had a purpose, but-like your world- everything crumbled and I she was taken away from me. I was enraged, lost and in so much pain. So I gave up the source of my pain…my memories…my sanity. Because reason only makes you sulk in that pain, something I have tried to teach you but you are one stubborn man. You still attach to your rage as you attach to that costume of yours."

"This woman you're talking about, what happened to her?"

"My wife? She was murdered, but why does it matter?" Joker snorted and shook his head. "Oh I see. You think I killed her too, don't you? Always black and white isn't it Bats?"

You…married?" The Knight asked surprised by the revelation.

"For a detective, you have missed most of the clues leading to who I am. I'm kind of disappointed, but then I doubt you could see anything more than your own rage. Yes, I had a wife once and a greedy…associate, took her away from me to teach me a lesson. Violence always finds its way to us, doesn't it, Bats? Lost her and the baby in one night."

Joker noticed the surprised look in the Knight's face after the revelation. "Don't worry, Bats, There is not Joker Jr. out there. She was pregnant when she was murdered. God, I can still remember her perfume and the joy I felt when she told me I was going to be a daddy. She was just…perfect. Like a Summer morning, warm, refreshing" The Clown buried his face between his hands.

"Do you remember her name? Do you even remember yours?"

Joker lifted his head from his hands and remained silent for a moment before smiling at the caged Detective. "Always the detective, aren't we? Of course I remember, but it doesn't matter anymore. She's dead, like the man I was beside her. Now it's only…Joker: the Clown Prince of Crime."

"Doesn't matter who you think you are now, there is always a part of the real you inside."

"And he is in pain, because he is angry, alone, misunderstood. I don't want to feel like that anymore. Jack has no space in my life anymore." Joker looked down and stared at the deck of cards with his face printed on the back, then sighed sadly.

"Jack…" Batman whispered as if trying to makes sense of the name. Such a common place name, but then so out of character for the Jester. It was so difficult to call this man anything more than a murderous clown, The Joker. The monster had suddenly become…human.

"And when I was in one of my moods, the name calling just got worse. But Crazy Jack died with her, and what was left of him disappeared in a vat of chemicals at the Monarch Card Company. Remember that day? It's my birthday."

Yes. Batman remembered. That was the night when he met face to face with the legendary Red Hood, at least one of the lesser crooks who had donned the title and the costume. Little did he know that in that dreaded night, an unknown crook would become his greatest enemy, and his most dangerous. Batman couldn't help to wonder if the Joker was his direct creation or an accident that could have been averted. Guilt accompanied that memory. If he could have prevented the Joker's acid bath…how many lives could he have saved?

"You made me that night," Joker went on. "And since then our lives have been intertwined." Joker said running a finger against the roughened floor.

"Jack…I didn't mean to…"

"No…no apologies." Joker said emphatically, through the strangeness of his own name, now pronounced by who had been his most hated enemy until now. "It was meant to be, because you needed a Joker in your life. Someone to bring the best on you, brighten your dark days with a smile while I needed…someone like me..someone like you. Only someone with so much rage inside as me could understand my rage." Joker wrapped his arms over his raised knees and rested his chin on them. "And if you hate me, it is all worthless."

"I said I didn't hate you…"

"But you act like you do. You always treat me like a thing you put away in a closet and ignore how it feels to be caged. If you don't hate me, WHY you do this to me?"

Batman couldn't answer that. The only thing he was sure is that he's only focus were the lives he could save from deranged monsters like the Joker. To save those lives, he had to shun any exterior distractions, and the criminals were good at creating distractions to defeat him. So he opted to close his mind and his heart to emotions. Batman couldn't feel…that would be the greatest distraction. The Dark Knight had to be strong, immutable, strike fast and hard, like an avalanche. He had to be focused in order to do his job and save lives.

He had shunned the Clown and his ridiculous antics and jokes, in order to fight his enemy. Joker was chaos…and he will fight it with order, but now…there was an eerie calm between these enemies. Joker was not out of control, laughing at jokes only he understood and murdering innocent people. Deep inside that comedic façade of the murderous performer, was a human being, who was extremely sad…and lonely.

"I need to keep you away from hurting more people…"

"And have you ever thought that I was hurting people because it was the only way to bring you out from your little cave? The only way to make you come to me? If you would have cared for me, I would've stopped."

"Jack…you can't stop…"

"I can stop whenever I want...if you want me to stop I will…just try me."

"You are ill."

"So are you, don't deny it. You are in pain too. You feel this…this rage burning inside you and you've wished the world would just burn around you. I did what I did for you …and me!"

"Jack, calm down. There is no need to…"

"DON'T YOU JACK ME NOW MR. BAT, AND DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN EITHER. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LIVE MY LIFE…TO FEEL THIS … LONELY." The Jester huffed. "YOU ARE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE KIDS IN THIS TOWN. YOU WONDER WHY IS IT THAT I HAVE TO MAKE A RUCKUS JUST TO GET NOTICED. AND THE MOMENT YOU NOTICE ME, YOU WANT ME PUT AWAY, LIKE A PIECE OF GARBAGE. NOT FAIR!"

"Joker…yelling is going to get us nowhere."

"IM NOT….yelling. I am just angry, and see…this is just pushing us apart." Joker turned around and walked away a few paces. The ruby lips pulled down in the saddest expression as he held his head between his hands. Batman just stared at the Clown Prince of Crime.

"I understand how you feel. You're not the only one that has lost something dear to him." The Knight contributed after a long silence.

"Finally, you admitted it. The day you lost everything to become the Batman."

"Yes. It was a dark day. But I saw light at the end of the tunnel."

"Me too, but I knew where that light was going to take me, so I just turned it off. I did not want to relive the pain like I had many times before."Joker let out softly.

It was just now that Batman understood the depth of the Jester's pain and loneliness, where the only thing left was to shun everything else and forget about the past, rebuilding himself a new image of the world while giving away the only thing that tied him to that world. His sanity. Without it, he would not be carrying the burden of what he left behind.

"You know, Bats, I always thought you would have lost a son, because dressing in tights is such a child thing. But then, if your wife would've survived, you would have not been so alone to become the Bat in the first place. Now I realize you're living an actual child fantasy, so whatever it was that happened to you, you were too young to know better. It was your mom or your dad, wasn't it? No, it was both of them…"

This clown was indeed brilliant and as good a detective as he probably was. He has been able not only of describe the fuel that drove the Batman, but the very incident that triggered it. Joker started to rock where he stood and continued. "I kind of knew that. You were sad…angry and wanted to avenge your family's death so you became the swashbuckling hero that saves the day. Admirable, but why didn't you give up your sanity? It would have been so much easier. Forget the pain because pain like that is just…unbearable. How could you tolerate that much pain without going mad?"

Bruce had tried to answer that question many times before. "I had a purpose…"

"Ahhh," Joker said with awe. "My life had been total chaos ever since I can remember…I can't focus. For me, life is like a rollercoaster with no brakes. And I make the tracks as I go. Better than having to look back."

"That is where you and I are different…"

"No we're not. You just imagine it that way. And to believe I wanted to make you feel my pain so you'd unders- OH MY GOD!" Joker stood straight as a board looking at the caged man on the basement. The Jester's green eyes glowed with surprise as he rushed a hand to his open mouth.

"What?"

"I just remembered, Bats. I killed your little buddy…the Bird boy…in Ethiopia."

Batman frowned as the memory hit him back. He had thought that he had let go of the past, but the image of the horrors Joker made his partner go through brought back the rage. Anger started to boil deep inside…this was the monster who had committed that horrendous crime. Something in the Detective's chest ignited. It was like a wildfire that threatened to consume him like dry brush. Was this pain, sorrow…or just hate? This feeling was too strong. He needed to focus his energy somewhere else…

"I don't want to talk about that…"

"But I do. You have chosen a kid, I felt displaced, I saw you weakened. Thought bringing up that rage of yours will bring you back to my level. God! Vicky was right. You must hate me."Joker buried his face in his hand and fell on his knees in front of the cage. The pain in his chest was burning out of control, like a furnace. He wanted this love to be a masterpiece, like a pristine piece of Murano glass, but it was tarnished, with blood…innocent blood. It was the blood of a child that was not supposed to have died…not like he did, under the crowbar held by a madman. "I didn't think of the repercussions then, but it just drove us apart. Stupid me… Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

"Joker…Jack… I…" Batman said as the fire within him started to subside. The murderer in front of him, actually felt remorse for his crime. The deep emotion on the Joker, the sincerity of the tears he could see about to flow down from the two emeralds in the Clown Prince's face, moved him deeply. The remorse of the murder was eating at the Jester's soul…but was the Joker capable of real remorse? This was new to him, as it seemed to be new to Joker himself.

Batman stared at the Jester's slim figure that was looking at him attentively. Forgiveness? The Joker is asking for forgiveness? How could he forgive this monster after such an atrocious act of violence? And it had been only one of many other acts of violence committed by the Joker. This monster did not deserve forgiveness…he deserved to rot in a cell in the bowels of a psychiatric asylum for the rest of his natural life…no…he deserved to die in the most horrible way possible…

Stop. Batman thought. He was letting his rage dictate his actions and that was wrong. He could be hurting deep inside, but he was always capable of doing what was right. But what was right now…? He had carried Robin's death for so long…how could he just let it go so easily, just like that? That death that had tortured his soul for so long, made him cry at dawn, the failure to protect those close to him. It had made him feel this…this anger…towards the criminal element of this city, against Joker. Anger…violence. Look where it had taken the Jester…did he want to be in the same place…? Feeling as lonely and isolated as the Joker had been feeling all his life

"You can't." The Clown Prince of Crime finally said after a long silence. "You must really hate me."

Batman realize the Joker was right and that he had used that hatred to fuel him. Whenever he fought the Clown, he wanted to inflict the most pain possible. Every new encounter bought forth even more violence as if trying to punish him in a personal vendetta that he knew one day would be out of control. It was time to put an end to this violent circle. Life was extremely short and there was not enough time for much. He needed to let this go in order to start living. He felt the words freeze in his throat as they refuse to leave and take away the heavy load of hatred kept burning for too long

"**I. Forgive. You."**

And these three words made his heart feel lighter. He had been carrying this hatred and this resentment for so long, that he had forgotten how it felt able to breathe the pure air of the city without his heart been constricted with the anger. Batman looked into the Joker's eyes that were still staring at him from between the bars. He could tell that the Jester was also different, relieved. He could see from the corners of the Clown's face a subtle smile, a smile that was spelling gratitude.

"One less card in this painful deck…one heavy card. Thanks." Joker picked a card from the floor and threw it at the barred cage. Upon making contact with one of the bars it caught fire. It was a Joker and soon it was just ashes. "The seasons are changing, Bats, and we…are evolving into something new. There is no turning back, you know?"

"What are you trying to say…?" Batman looked at Joker strangely.

"Nothing," Joker said with a shrug trying to look unconcerned. "You made me find myself once more, stop the rage deep inside, just forget the chaos and feel like I finally belong somewhere while you…You found that there is a part of you missing on life, because you let your rage blind you."

"I don't get what you're saying."

"Oh don't be naïve. What I made you feel before. The lust, the blood heating up in your veins. You felt something you obviously missed, and kind of liked. You didn't sound too convincing asking me to stop caressing you."

"Now you are delirious again. Seeing things that are just not there."

"No, it is you who is acting insane now. The Bat has nothing but the rage, and when I made you shiver, I brought the man underneath the surface and reminded him of what he's missing. Just like you make Jack come back from the darkness I brought back your humanity."

"What you did made me sick."

"Your incredible ability to lie to yourself and believe in that lie just amazes me. If you would have fought me hard enough to make this lie convincing, I would have given up and left you alone. Only an insane man would try the same thing twice expecting a different result. You enjoyed what you felt. You want to be a man, not just a creature of the night."

"I am a man."

"No, you're a force of nature. Like me. Elemental, instinctive and raw. When you put that leather costume on, you lose your humanity, just like I lose my sanity when I put the purple tux on and let Joker loose. Both of us are missing something in our lives, Bats. Something that completes us."

"You're psychoanalyzing me?" Batman said angrily.

"No, I'm asking you to stop closing your eyes to the truth. You'll remember every place I touched on your body, how they felt and you will remember it was me who primed them. It was not me calling to God when you started feeling something between your legs, Bats."

Batman's mind started to run fast. Could it be possible? Could what he felt under the Clown's touch, his own need to be loved and fulfilled? Preposterous…but possible? He should have been able to stop getting aroused, but the truth is somehow he was really asking for more. Shame filled him. No, this clown is manipulating him

"You can't be serious…"

"You are so blind. Just as you can't see beyond my green hair and fixed smile, you can't see beyond that cowl of yours. Just as I could not see beyond my insanity, remember? You are as lonely, in pain and as angry as me. You don't let anything open that cold heart of yours and that is only going to keep you lonelier, angrier and in more pain at the end of the day." Joker took a moment to sigh. "When was the last time a woman made you feel what I made you feel, Bats? Because you moaned like you have not been laid in a while."

"I don't need to discuss my intimate life with you."

"No, I guess not. You've probably have been with women before, but Have you had the balls to tell them who you really are at night?" There was a short but admissive silence from the Dark Knight. "Thought so. They would not understand, would they? I, on the other hand know what exactly makes my Cape Crusader tick."

We are one gigantic puzzle that can only be completed when we start to share the missing pieces Bats. Until then we are just half of what we could be. I realize now that my insanity was just a sign of my pain, but why can't you understand you are just a sign of the pain inside the man under the Kevlar? Why would you like to live been only half the man you could be?"

"Some of us, are what we are."

Then Joker felt a hand touch his shoulder. He lifted his eyes to meet the soft blue orbs of the detective that looked at him from inside the cage. The Detective had carefully extended an arm through the bars and the worn leather glove now rested firmly on the Jester's shoulder. Joker felt his heart slow down again. It was almost magical what the touch of the Knight could do to him…calming the beast inside and making him feel at peace…once more. He liked to feel at peace. It was like the calm after the hurricane, like the sunrise after a long and stormy night. .

"Then I am just a psychopath, even if I had left my insanity behind and faced my pain for you."

"I didn't mean-."

"You didn't believe. A wise woman once told me some of us can be a lot more than what we are now if only given the chance."

Joker pulled back from the reassuring hand and looked at the caged Detective with awe. The touch of the man became the first piece of the puzzle of his soul that fell into place. He felt calm once again, his heart was not racing and he was not angry anymore. He pushed his shirt over his shoulder and caressed his white naked skin with a bleached hand.

"Prove you can change. Let the children go."

"Why can't you just make a leap of faith and believe what I tell you? Why do I have to show you when you just need to trust? I can change, Bats. I'll do it for you. You'll see. But can you?"

"You've lied before."

"You don't offer me any hope of redemption, do you? Maybe I should just turn back and become the monster you think I am, cut all those little throats and paint the walls with the blood while re-enacting a Marx brother's movie. You'll like that. After all, I can't change, right?"

"No, you're misinterpreting my words."

"No, I am reading between them. This cannot work until you drop that iron clad label you put on people. Not everybody fits in those narrow profiles you want to put them. There is no black or white, Bats. Only grey…and purple."

Batman remained silent and Joker huffed angrily as he kept ranting.

"This is useless. All my efforts totally wasted. If that is the way you want it, then let's finish what we started shall we? Then we can go back to our miserable lonely, painful existences."

"You don't have to be…"

"SHUT UP! You getting me angry and when I'm angry, the Clown wants to have some fun. Have a good night, Bats. Rot in that cell!" Joker kicked the dispersed deck of cards in the floor and rushed up the stairs without looking back at the caged Detective.

And that was not a good sign.

Joker was a very troubled man. There were a lot of demons in the Jester's mind and many contradicting emotions in his heart. How could a man live like that…? Then the only answer came to him like an epiphany. The only way to live like this was to forsake your own sanity and twist reality to suit his needs. Create a reality you could live in, forgetting whatever made you suffer…even if it meant destroying the rest of the fabric of reality in the search of that happiness.

Joker had tried to create chaos to achieve inner order and peace and , for the first time he felt sorry for the Clown Prince, for deep inside he had understood that not everything in life was black or white…just a big smudge of grays. Why not trust for once in somebody else, Bruce pondered and the answer hit him hard home…because he had been let down so many times before.

And during the last few days, he could not even trust his own body. He had taste the prohibited…But wasn't the forbidden fruit the most delicious, sinful and sought reward? Joker was the man with the broken soul and the mind ruled by chaos, but he also had the Midas who has turned the forbidden into the most valuable treasure.

Batman had never felt anything…except pain. Pain that had been inflicted by his enemies, but never the Batman had felt anything like what he had felt at the Jester's hand. Pain that led to pleasure and the world seemed just…different.

This…was all…so confusing…

And more confusing was to see what an angry Joker was capable of. The words he had spoken out of spite sounded like a dark warning that he had lives that cling from the tendrils of his purple jacket. Lives he could just decide to end in a moment's whim. Could he really trust the Clown? He didn't know, but what he was sure of is that he might be the only hope of survival for the Kiwanis. Time to continue developing a plan to get out of this basement…


	15. City Plans

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's Note: **Hello friends, Happy Mother's Day to all, and thanks again for supporting this little experiment of mine. Your reviews are really appreciated. Special gratitude to those who have set the story in either alerts or favs...it is really an honor to be part of those lists. _

_Like always, I try to entertain...but since i still have not found a beta for the story, I must ask forgiveness for any major gramatical blunder you may find. Please help me get better at this, so if you find something that just hurts your eyes..let me know so I can fix it immediately. _

_Another thing, and this is just a reminder. This is a story of characters. I know my last chapter was kind of emotional, but bear with me. I needed to explore both psyches in detail...but I promise to not go overboard. I know it can be distracting from the action, and more action is what's coming our way. After all, Clowns like to be mischievous, no? AND don't forget to leave your comments on the story...I want to hear what you have to say._

_Lastly, if you want to beta this story, please contact me to arrange the details. Thanks._

_Well, without any more distractions on my part...I leave you with the new chapter_

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters belong solely to DC COMICS and are used here solely for entertainment._

_DISCLAIMER 2: Some chapters will have situations of GRAPHIC LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS OF VIOLENCE, some with SEXUAL content. PLease, use your discretion when reading..._

**Chapter 15: City Plans**

Joker rushed up the stairs and across the common room where Lou and Punch where watching TV and one of the Kiwanis was snoozing comfortably on the large chair. He kept running until he reached the room at the end of the hall and entered hastily, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Run…hide…disappear. Run…hide…disappear…" The Jester kept repeating to himself as he jumped on the bed and pulled the comforter over his head. "…or is it STOP, DROP and ROLL?"

It was then that he heard a voice in his head. A voice that spoke to him in a playful falsetto he knew too well for he had had many other conversations with the same voice countless of times before when he was all by himself in that awful acrylic cage at the Asylum...

_What do you think you are doing? You're running away from him again, aren't you?_

"No, I'm just doing a fire drill, can't you see? It helps to be prepared…" He answered to himself crossing his arms over his chest.

_No. Another joke like that and I'm gonna kill you. I swear. You used to be funny…_

"I'm a riot," Joker giggled. "And it was you who wanted to know…"

_And I'm starting to regret it. Why do you run away? Thought the whole point of this charade was to have him beside you. You listened and he spoke…_

Joker remained silent as if pondering on the question he had just made. "Yes! But he…he doesn't trust me. The base of love is trust."

_He just asked you to let the children go._

"Because he does not trust me. He just thinks I'm a psychopath."

_You are a psychopath Jack…_

"But I can be better. I know. When he looks at me the anger is gone, but then is back when he talks. His words hurt. I don't need to prove myself all the time. I want him to trust me."

_Then give up your upper hand…let the children go._

"I…I don't know," Joker started to say with a stutter as he ran both hands down his face. "I want to prove myself to him, but then it is always me who has to bow his head and give up…. You understand, no? It's a matter of pride. What would keep him beside me afterwards? He's only on that cage, because he has not found a way to keep the kids safe after he escapes, you know?"

That is the moment when he realized how ridiculous he must have looked running in his pajamas across the living room in front of Punch and Lou. Though the Batman made him feel so different, he had an image to keep. He was Clown Prince of Crime, the Grinning Gargoyle; the most brilliant criminal mastermind in Gotham City and probably; the one everybody was most scared off, until he and the Bat clashed in a war of wits and murder.

The man in the bat costume that now inhabited his basement was the only thing that made internal Chaos more like a far away memory. Just like Jeannie had made him feel so long ago.

_Keep, cool or these thugs will no longer respect you._

"Let me kill one of them and I'll show you how much they respect me." Joker sighed as he removed the covers from his head. "And then Bats will hate me forever. How could he do this to me? I was happier when I was feared. I was the King of Deadly Gags."

He was definitely in love. There was no other explanation, and that meant that he was only half the Joker he could be. The Joker did not know love and the lack of sanity had forced him to live in a world of chaos, that he didn't seem able to escape from and for what? He was still alone, and in pain. And only the violence made him forget the gaping hole in his soul, violence that would bring the Batman running to his doors.

"I can't hide forever." Joker said taking a good look around his room. The small desk beside the bed was filled with sheets of paper written all over with detailed descriptions of future plans. On the walls were sticky notes with poems, schematic drawings and the occasional smiley face. This was his kingdom as well as his prison. The Jester turned around, sat on the bed's edge and combed his wild curls back. "I need to laugh, but I also need to feel loved. Will I be able to do both?"

_If you could pull yourself together... _The voice said.

"Legs, arms, torso, head…" Joker said touching all his extremities. He finally touched his groin. "…and Mojo. Yes, Jack's here and in one piece."

_Oh, you and your jokes and if I recall, Jack is dead…my friend._

"Not anymore. I am back for my King."

_King? What have you been drinking, Jack?_

"From the sour cup of my own darkness and a bitter taste it leaves. My lips refresh on the sweetness of his lips and it is not until I see those blue eyes behind the mask that my darkness melts away and let me see the light. A light that hurts my eyes, but make me feel…alive and wanted. I'm in love with those eyes. I'm in love with the man that shows them proudly on his face."

_You are an incurable romantic…_

Joker smiled bashfully. "Yes, I guess am…can't help it. I was drawn that way…"

_Drawn...?_

"Yes, I sometimes feel like a cartoon. A caricature of the man I could be. There is more to Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime. I know it has to be. Will he ever love me back?"

_Look in the mirror and tell me what you see. Who do you think could love that?_

Joker ran his hands slowly along his face feeling every wrinkle and then the thickened edges of his smile. "I know he can…if he only stopped putting labels on people. He needs to stop being so judgmental. I will prove him I can change."

_This is going to end badly, my friend._

"Maybe, or maybe it will set me free."

_This is definitely not going to end well._

"You don't know me that well do you?" He said with a smile stretching wide in his face. The Jester stood up proudly, expanding his chest arrogantly. He buttoned his shirt and tucked it into his pants, combed his crazy green mane with his hand and started to walk into the living room were Lou and Punch still watched TV, and the kid, now on his tummy was snoring to his delight on the chair. The two thugs looked up from the TV to the upcoming clown. They quickly exchanged looks between themselves.

"Everything OK, Boss?" Punch finally asked when Lou elbowed him on the side.

"Of course, why you ask?" Joker lied bluntly.

"You just rushed upstairs we thought…" The question cost Punch a second elbow on his side from his fellow henchman. He pushed Lou back angrily.

Joker looked at Punch attentively, his eyes narrowed to tiny slits. This guy was just too damn nosy for his own good. "Had to use the little clown's room. Any problems?"

"No!" Both thugs answered at unison.

"Fine…no more questions or I'll raffle a bullet between the two of you. Clear?"

Punch nodded and stared back at the TV who was showing a commercial with a semi-naked model showing off a new car polisher. Lou just sank deeper into the sofa, trying to become one with the upholstery. The Jester took note of the kid snoring on the chair.

"Can one of you guys tell me, why this brat is sleeping in here,d rooling on my favorite chair?"

"The k-kid's afraid of the d-dark, Boss." Lou piped from his hiding place. "We just keep 'im here until he falls asleep and then move 'im back with the others. We've done that every night… Herman is with the kids tonight, he's gonna come and pick 'im up soon."

"Well I don't care if he is afraid of the dark, Big Foot or Barney the dinosaur, I want him out…NOW! This is MY chair and that…"Joker motioned to the small pool of drool that had started to accumulate under the kid's chin. "…is just gross."

Both Lou and Punch played a raw version of paper, rock, scissors which Lou lost. He rose from the love seat grumbling something unintelligible and picked up the kid gently, heading to the makeshift dormitory room on the other side of the apartment. Joker looked at his chair and the pool of drool accumulated on the armrest. With a grimace, he walked over to Punch who moved away to let him some space.

"I will need you to disinfect that chair, Punch. Who knows what kind of nasty germs that kid is spreading…?" Joker asked reclining against the armrest. "And what are you guys watching…?"

"Morning show." Punch answered simply without looking away from the TV that was reporting the sport news.

"Morning…?" Joker said looking out the window where the sun was barely peeking through the horizon between the buildings. He didn't realized how much time he had spent with the Batman that night.

In the TV set the face of the local Police chief came to full view and the words City Hall, appeared at the bottom of the screen.

"Ooooh, a local news flash." Joker said with obvious excitement as he leaned over and snatched the remote control from Punch to increase the volume. "They must be saying something about me."

"It's because of the military police coming to the city…they say it is a mess beyond repair or something."

"Removing a Bat and adding a Clown always lead to a big mess." Joker explained as he giggled childishly, and pushed on the large thug playfully. "I'm in the news."

The reporter in the background introduced the news.

"_In an effort to put some calm to a Gotham City in turmoil after the prolonged absence of the Batman in the streets, to which the mass murderer know as the Joker has claimed responsibility…."_

"Thank you, thank you." The Jester said throwing kisses effusively around him.

_"…the city has decided to ask the intervention of the Army National Guard and Military Police to help them bring some order to a city that seemed to have lost its mind."_

Joker busted into laughter. Punch gave him a strange look.

"You heard that? Crazy city." The Jester said between giggles. "Do I deserve this city or what?"

"With no Batman to protect it, the city is yours for the taking, Boss."

"You say that right my dear Punch, but please, stop brownnosing. Capice?" The Clown Prince said while waving a menacing white hand in front of the thug as the Chief of Police started to talk.

Punch swallowed hard and looked back at the TV, sinking deeper into his corner. If it wasn't because the Joker paid so well, he would be miles away from here in a heartbeat. There was no health insurance around Joker and as a matter of fact…not even his life was safe around the Clown.

The Chief of Police continued his news conference. "I assure you, Gotham. This is temporary. Until order is reestablished and all criminal elements are in custody. Then the city will be able to sleep safely at night."

"If you have problems sleeping, Gotham…pop an _Ambien_ and hold on to your teddy bears." Joker let out with a cackle. "It works for me…"

Joker reclined comfortably on the sofa. "What it's not gonna work is having all those green berets on my city. They're just gonna get me angry and then what…kill MPs? Not fun. They just don't make that crunchy sound when you kill them. And they have no sense of humor."

One of the reporters raised her hand from the large crowd of the media covering the news conference, and the Chief of Police acknowledged the beautiful dark haired news woman.

"Any news on the Caped Crusader's whereabouts, Chief? This city seems to need the Dark Detective more than they need the Army or the National Guard. Are the police doing anything to investigate his mysterious disappearance?"

"Holy crap," Joker said with his ruby lips parted in a silent sign of awe at the sight of the reporter. He leaned over his seat to take a better look at the screen. Punch eyed him from the corner of his eye.

"We have a group of our best detectives on the Batman's case Ms…." There was a brief moment of silence as someone whispered something to the Chief's ear. "…Ms. Lane, but unfortunately keeping the citizens of this city safe takes priority."

"Holy BLUE, RED and YELLOW crap."

"What?" Punch asked curiously.

"Holy FLYING BLUE, RED, and YELLOW crap!" The Jester said putting emphasis on the adjectives "Didn't you see who that was…?"

"Who, the Chief of Police?"

"No, not the Chief…the reporter, dum-dum. Punch … you're such a klutz." Joker said angrily searching on the pockets of his pajamas. He quickly looked around and noticed his purple jacket on top of a wooden chair. He moved over to his jacket and retrieved a cell phoned from one of the pockets. He speed-dialed a number. "You know what that means, right? Her boyfriend must be in town…"

"Hey Lexy…lost a reporter lately?" Joker answered the phone. "What do you mean who's this? It's me…Mr. J, from Gotham. Sorry…what did you just call me?" There was a loud click coming from the phone and the Clown Prince looked strangely at the equipment as he removed it from his ear. "Can't believe it….he insults me and just hangs up...the melon head just hung up on me. That is so… so rude."

Joker sat back on the sofa and tried to dial the number again obtaining only a busy tone. "I can't believe it…who does he think his dealing with…? I'm not in the mood to be ignored again. I'm gonna use Luthor's head at the bowling alley, I swear. You wanna make a call for me, Punch? I don't think melon head's gonna talk to me tonight and I really need to make a purchase. Damn! Bringing the Army to spoil my fun…? Did they even ask me if I wanted the Marines in the city...?

"National Guard..." Punch corrected.

"Whatever, same thing. Some idiots march while others swim and others fly, but did they ask me about bringing them to my town? NO! Did they ask me about having Stuporman in town? NO! Why do people ignore my opinion on the subject? I'm a good person, polite and in short…a gentleman Clown, then SWACK! They slap me in my pride. "

Punch just looked at the Jester with some concern as the Boss tried countless of times to redial in his cell phone until finally he smashed the cell phone angrily against the wall as he went on.

"I'm gonna show them some respect. I'm gonna teach them a lesson they're not gonna forget. This city will know why they should stay away from me."

Joker pushed himself into the chair huffing. He was losing his temper again, he was losing control and his Bat would never approve of that. "I need to calm down. I need to shake this lousy mood or somebody is gonna end up dead tonight. Any ideas to cheer me up, Punch?"

Joker eyed the thug who just limited himself to shrug innocently remembering what the boss said previously about murdering what he didn't like. He knew it was better not to talk to the Boss when he was upset. Intelligent move, the Jester thought but he still had to do something. He turned to the TV and the answer spoke to him in plain English…

"_In other news, the city continues with the plans for the celebration of Police Commissioner James Gordon's 30 year anniversary in the force amidst the violence that has erupted in the city. The festivities come in a moment where according to the city Mayor, 'our heroes should not be forgotten, even in our darkest hour.'"_

"Your darkest hour, Mr. Mayor is just about to turn pitch black or should I say, just a darker shade of purple?" Joker said gloomily and Punch made some distance between him and the Boss. "Ready to join the anniversary celebrations, my friend? After all, the Commissioner had put up with me for at least that long. I will give them a reason to celebrate." The Jester smiled one of his large evil smiles and stared at the thug. "Oh, and do me a favor…call Luthor for me, eh? Tell him he is about to make a killing…literally, if he just lends me a hand this time. The prize is no objection, and the payback will be worth it one dead alien."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Batman sat in a corner of the cage while one of Joker's thugs exchanged the tray with dinner from last night with fresh breakfast consisting of a plate with pancakes and a large cup of hot steaming coffee and an apple. Coffee was not his usual beverage but he welcomed the black elixir, like an old friend, especially when it helped him stay alert after the long sleepless night he spent speaking with Joker. A very long…and revealing night.

The Caped Crusader always thought the Clown Prince of Crime was irremediably out of his mind, and that in his insanity, had substituted the reality of his own existence with and invented, totally imaginary world where he was the king of comedy and murder was his funniest punch line. Not tonight.

The Joker that he had spoken with was calmer, and had a clear idea of who he was, but in an effort to forget the pain the memory brought with it, had decided to avoid the subject completely, by choice. Was there a glint of redemption for a man who had murdered thousands in the name of comedy?

Joker…Who was he really? Batman thought he had a complete profile on the madman and last night's talk had thrown everything out the window. Jack was a married man that would have become a father if he wouldn't have lost his family on that fateful night. The Detective would have never guessed it and even less, understand it. How could someone suffer that much and not go insane? All of a sudden, everything started making sense and for a moment he felt sorry for his enemy.

What was wrong with him…? Insane or not, the Joker was the most dangerous man in the city…there was no time to feel sorry for him, but at the same time he needed to be stopped. Children's lives were at risk and he was not sure after last night what the Joker would be capable of doing. Damn, if he could only forget the feelings this clown had woken up inside the man under the cowl. Feelings that he knew he had not felt with anybody before and no matter how many times he denied it, he had enjoy them even when he knew he shouldn't have.

He tried taking another sip of coffee, but suddenly his appetite was gone. His guilt mixed with his sense of honor made the brew bitter in his lips. It was a contradiction, like Joker. Could his enemy also complement his existence? Was he missing any piece in the puzzle of his existence that this Joker could fill? The idea was just…insane. It contradicted his principles, his values, and his logic, but his gut instincts told him that this was something he needed, to feel loved in this way, to feel that he belonged.

It was clear that Joker was not going to let the children go, not after that bitter end to their conversation. They were the only thing that kept the Batman in the basement, and Joker knew that well. This game had arrived to a stalemate. It was time to change the rules of the game, but he needed to be by himself to finish planning his escape, the instruments of his freedom almost completed. One of Joker's henchmen stood by the door looking closely at the knight without getting much closer physically. Smart boy, but he needed time alone.

"You can take the breakfast away." Batman said to the henchman. "And bring me some bottled water, purified if possible."

"You must be kidding, bottled water?" The thug protested as he pulled the tray out of the cell with a wooden hook.

"I don't drink anything else. If you can't help, I'll have to ask your boss for the water. " Bruce knew no one wanted a faceoff with the Clown for some stupid bottled water. "See what he says about it."

"No, no problem," the thug grumbled. "I'll see what I can do."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Vicky Vale was surprised by the group of fellow employees that had gathered in front of the door to her office to receive her after her unwanted leave of absence due to the Joker's unlucky attack. As she approached the happy group of employees, they all started applauding the reporter euphorically. Vicky just stopped on her way, overwhelmed by the show of affection.

One of the reporters walked towards her and gave her a big hug. Vicky couldn't hide her surprise.

"You are one brave woman, Vick," said the tall male reporter in white shirt, brown dockers and black rimmed glasses. "After surviving an encounter with that monster…you're our hero."

"Thank you, guys," Vicky said with a soft, gentle smile. "It's nothing you wouldn't have done too. He just didn't want to kill me yet…that's all."

"But still you came back," said a black haired reported wearing a cream colored suit and skirt. "That takes courage…"

"Yeah, I would have taken a long sabbatical after that." Another lady interloped.

"That's why we're better than they are…because we are not afraid of them…" Vicky said. She was afraid, but she had to face it and go on with her life.

"Actually…I'm terrified of the Clown myself….I saw him up close once…and I will not forget that face ever." A short lady in a white shirt and golden vest said. Everybody in the group laughed heartedly as Vick use the opportunity to cut through towards her office…

"Hey Vick…did you dyed your hair green…?" One of the reporters asked as she walked in front of him. Vicky stopped by the door for a brief moment, and ran a nervous hand down her hair. It had taken her long hours of applying specially designed makeup to hide the Clown face the Joker had painted on her face, as well as three shades of hair dye to hide the green color in her hair. It had obviously not been enough.

"What?" She said turning around to face her interloper. "Green you say?"

"It's just a hint of green, but I was wondering…." the reporter answered sheepishly.

"I'm going to have a little talk with my hairdresser. She promised me the new color scheme will just enhance my natural highlights…never turn green…" Vicky couldn't believe how easily she was coming up with an excuse.

"Oh, but don't worry…is not that obvious. Only from up close…" The reporter said with a smile. "But yeah, maybe they can fix it and get you your money back."

"Thanks for letting me know, Rick." Vicky responded with a smile. "Well guys, thanks for the welcome committee. Your concerns mean a lot to me, really…and knowing I have friends like you, that care, makes this little nuisances more bearable. Thanks guys."

"Not a problem, Vick," said the man wearing the brown dockers. "We'll see you around. Need to catch up work, don't you?

Vicky nodded and everybody bid their goodbyes and left to their posts. Vicky finally was able to slip inside her office and after closing the door behind her she let a deep sigh and walked over the large office window. Being one of the most renowned and respected reporters in the city had its privileges and this large window was her little window to the city life, where she could see life in Gotham go by as she wrote her reports and editorials for that very same city. It reminded her where she had come from, and to whom she was working…it was not the Gazette….it was the people of Gotham.

By the large window pane, a small pedestal held a flower arrangement that had started to wilt. It was a replica of the one at the hospital: two dozen blood red roses and purple wildflowers. The red roses had started to lose their petals and the foliage had started to dry off. At the center of the arrangement, a purple note winked at her from among the dying foliage. She picked up the card and quickly searched for the sender's signature, but for her it was not hard to guess who had sent that arrangement. When she saw the large calligraphy styled letter J at the bottom of the card she grabbed the arrangement and threw it forcefully on the trash bin.

"Damn you, Joker. Will you ever leave me alone?" She whispered as she remembered the Clown reminding her how much closer to her he was…even knowing how much tea she had a day…She wondered if the Jester had cameras inside her office, or maybe had a tap on her phone… "If you're seeing this, Clown…that is what I think of your arrangement," she said tossing the whole thing in the garbage.

"And this is what I think of you." She finished lifting a middle finger up in the air.

The truth was that the thought of Joker having romantic feelings for the Batman disturbed her. She knew the man under the cowl, and Bruce will keep his distance from any approach from the Jester. That would be enough to maybe infuriate the Clown to the point that the psychopath will try something drastic and deadly to attract the Dark Detective. A lot of people will get hurt if that happened. She felt the Detective's life was in terrible danger and felt helpless at not able to provide him a means of getting away from the madman's clutches. She could only pray for his safety.

Someone knocked the door twice.

"Yes?" Vicky responded while still standing by the window. She hoped it was not someone else to congratulate her on her survival and return to work, because she was really not in the mood. The door opened and a tall, well built dark haired man wearing black spectacles and a grey suit and holding a gray hat in his hands advanced politely and stood by the door frame.

"Ms. Vale?" The man said with a firm but at the same time warm voice. The man smiled and Vicky nodded silently while smiling back. There was something about that smile that was irresistible. "Oh, hi. My name is Clark Kent, from the Daily Planet in Metropolis…"

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Kent. I have heard from you… Come in." She asked while walking from the window to meet the Metropolitan reporter. He was really tall and well built. They shook hands. "A little away from home, aren't we? How may I help you?"

"I'm here doing a report on the Batman's disappearance for my newspaper and it came to my attention of your latest encounter with the criminal that has claimed responsibility for his abduction." Clark made a short pause, while Vicky just stared at him as if studying him closely. "I would like to speak to you about your experience…if you don't mind. I'm trying to put a picture together and see if we can figure out the reason for the abduction. And you can call me Clark."

"Clark, I just survived a close encounter with a psychopathic murderer by sheer luck, nothing more. Don't know what the Joker might do if he found out someone else is in his case. He doesn't like reporters. Maybe, you should not get involved with the Joker investigation. Joker loves to kill people for fun…"

"Oh, I know, Ms. Vale. I'm not losing perspective. But as a fellow reporter you'll understand that there are always risks in our profession. Risks we are willing to take to get the news to the people."

"I'm impressed with how calmly you're taking this assignment. You must have nerves of steel, Clark."

Kent smiled timidly at the metaphor. "I've been told that. Everything for a good report, I guess."

Vicky narrowed her eyes at the Metropolitan reporter. He was either very brave or very stupid, but she liked his attitude. This man was without fear, much like Bruce that had to deal with demented psychopaths like the Joker on a daily basis. And he was not that bad looking either. The baby blue eyes framed by a nicely trimmed mane of jet black hair and the fair skin…It was like looking at one of those models in the fashion magazines…And Mr. Kent liked to exercise too she noted…

"There is something about you…aiming for that Pulitzer, aren't you Clark?"

Clark stared at her tenderly. "Aren't we all, Ms. Vale?"

"Sure we do, but you just make sure you're alive to pick up the prize and please, call me Vick." She looked at the trash bin by her desk where the wilted flower arrangement had been tossed, then looked at her watch. "This is not a good place to talk and it's almost noon…in the mood for lunch?"

"Sure. Italian sounds good to you Vick? My treat."

She felt slightly uncomfortable by the Metropolitan reporter quickly taking control, but she hid it well. After all she was supposed to make these visiting reporters as welcome as she could, and she loved Italian food. She smiled politely at the tall reporter, and those blue eyes at the top of that towering body, glinted warmly at her.

"I appreciate the thought, Clark…and I know the perfect restaurant…." She grabbed her purse and headed for the door when she stopped by the door and looked at the Daily Planet reporter. Boy, those baby blue eyes were to die for, she thought. "You got an invitation for the Commissioner's career award tomorrow by any chance?"

"Yes, why?" Clark answered hesitantly.

"Just checking. Good…very good." Vicky said with a furtive smile as she headed out her office biting her lip playfully. Clark followed behind her wondering what had been so funny about him going to the award presentation. "Let's go, I'm starving."


	16. And the Winner is

_**UPDATED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**_

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's Note:** Hello, here I am here with another installment. I would like to take the moment to thank all of the fans that had kindly communicated me their interest and love for this story. It means a lot. And to think that this story was only an experiment supposed to be three chapters long...but you all had made it what it is, and had kept my muse working overtime. Thank you...and my hat off to you all._

_Special thanks to my newly found friends at the Joker site in Live Journal: JOKER VENOM ADDICTS. I was very surprised to find fans there, and to you all my most sincere gratitude. This chapter is dedicated to you all...because you are all very dear to me. Thanks for your support._

_I'm still searching for a beta, so whoever is interested please PM me or send me an is my second language, and it sometimes gets hard to see the big blunders... Please help me make this an even better story._

_Lastly, please let me hear your thoughts on the story. All comments welcomed...except flames._

_Well, without any more delays...here is your new chapter._

_Disclaimer 1: Batman and related characters belong solely to DC COMICS_

_Disclaimer 2: Some scenes will contain SEXUAL and MATURE content, so please be advised as you read._

**Chapter 16: And the Winner is…JOKER!**

Ball Room at the Gotham Ritz: Banking district of Downtown.

Gordon was sitting at the center of a large table decorated with streams and balloons in the white and royal blue colors of the department of police and a large city shield that hung from the center front of the long table. He was accompanied by his daughter who was tenderly holding his hand. To his left, the Police Chief sat calmly as he looked attentively as the Mayor was getting ready to make the introduction speech.

In the main space of the ballroom, more tables were accommodating a wide range of guests that included bankers, artists, and other government officials as well as a large representation of the Gothamite news media. Even the federal government was represented here tonight. Towards the center of the room, Clark Kent sat accompanied by Vicky Vale at the media table. She was making some notes on her notebook and Clark was checking his tablet and recording equipment.

"Clark?" A voice came close behind the reporters. Kent turned around to find out Lois Lane looking at him strangely. His wide blue eyes opened with surprise for the last place he was expecting to find her was here.

"Lois…what are you doing here?"

"My job…" She said noticing Ms. Vale beside him. "Perry sent me to investigate the Batman's disappearance, but I have my doubts about you. Weren't you on leave?"

"Well, yes. I took a leave of absence, but I heard about the pro death penalty for the Arkham inmates"Clark said coughing nervously."…and the Batman's disappearance."

"You sneaky…" She started to say when she turned to Vicky; her frown turning into a pleasant smile. "Oh…Ms. Vicky Vale…I presume?"

Vicky nodded and extended a friendly hand. "And you must be the famous Lois Lane. I loved your story on Superman and the World Fund, Lois. Very sensitive and well executed. Pulitzer material, no less."

"Thanks," Lois answered with a smile and a handshake, while she still eyed Clark Kent maliciously. "I heard that your investigation on the Joker landed you a close encounter with the Clown...good to see that he didn't harm you."

"Thanks…I just wasn't in his menu, I guess." Vicky responded with a shy smile. What she really wanted was to forget the amount of makeup she had to put on to cover the clown face the Jester left her with.

"The Joker has a long history of hatred against the city's Caped Detective, doesn't he?"

Vicky made a pause. "Yes…for some years now."

"Maybe we can discuss this later. An exclusive if you don't mind." Lois eyed Kent angrily. I think that I would like to go deeper in that relationship that led to the whole kidnapping."

Vicky was about to tell her that there was nothing really to investigate, when the Mayor started to ask everybody's attention for the speech. She was thankful for the interruption. This was not a good time to dwell on the investigation of the Joker's feelings especially when she knew where it was going to lead. Clark separated a chair for Lois, when she pointed to another at Vicky's other side and asked if it was empty. Vicky nodded again, and Lois took her seat beside her leaving Clark waiting. Ms. Vale couldn't help but to look sadly at the brawny reporter as he sat silently on his chair on her other side.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

At the podium, Mayor Stratton had started narrating highlights of the Commissioner's illustrious career on the Force. With every new event highlighted, Gordon felt more and more uneasy at his table, the tension exuding from his pores strong enough to catch his daughter's attention.

"Relax dad…this is your night." Barbara whispered softly into his father's ear. "Breathe…it's OK."

"It's not OK…this city is in chaos and I'm receiving a price for it. I should be working at the station…"

"Dad, you've always given so much to this city…isn't it time you get something back?"

"Not like this…to create the impression that life is normal when this is our most difficult hour…"

Barbara made a pause. She knew this was true. All this festivities at this precise moment were just a play orchestrated by the city's central government to give its citizens the false impression that there was nothing wrong in the city. But the public needed the short pause and welcomed the refreshing moment to breathe normally, even for a brief moment, before sinking in the thick and asphyxiating reality around them because the city was indeed out of control…

"Dad…I know…but it's just a few hours…and you could use the break."

"I will pause when I put that Clown back in the Asylum, find Batman and make sure the Kiwanis are safe. Then I can celebrate."

A round of applause surprised both the Commissioner and his daughter. The Mayor had finished his exposition and had introduced Gordon to the guests. Everybody in the room was on their feet, giving the Commissioner a well deserved standing ovation. Gordon fidgeted on his seat as Barbara made a quick fix to the crooked bowtie on his father's tux. He quickly rose and headed towards the podium where the Mayor shook his hand effusively and presented the audience to him. Gordon pulled a piece of paper from his tuxedo and adjusted his glasses as he prepared to start his speech.

"Some wine for the hero's daughter?" Barbara heard someone say in a high pitch tone behind her. She turned to see a tall waiter in white tuxedo and red bowtie presenting her with a bottle of wine. The waiter smiled wide. She looked at the glass of wine in front of her that was still three quarters full and then stared back at the server. Was this man blind? She had hardly touched hers…couldn't he see that?

"No, thanks…" She answered politely trying to return her attention to her father at the podium where he had started his speech.

"Don't blame you, dear. This is cheap wine. No, more like rubbing alcohol…YUCK!" The waiter said looking disgustingly at the label and setting the bottle on the table brusquely. "Who would drink this crap? Heck, I wouldn't drink it even if I was already drunk. I'm going to have to kill the maitre d'hôtel."

Barbara turned again to see the strange waiter staring at her with that stupid smile on his face. When she looked around she also noticed that the rest of the waiters on the floor were putting gas masks on. She tried to warn the Police Chief beside him when she noted a green cloud of smoke coming from underneath the table. The other tables on the floor were releasing green smoke too. She tried to say something when a white gloved hand covered her mouth and from the corner of her eye she could see the waiter's smiling face.

"Don't even think about it unless you wanna see daddy's brains as part of the décor, sweetheart." The Minister of Education beside her dropped unconsciously to the floor beside her.

"Who…?" Barbara tried to say through the gag, when she noted her tongue and her eyes were starting to feel heavy.

"An old friend, and I will hold my breath if I was you. Just a thought." The waiter said taking a big gulp of air himself.

Barbara took a large gulp of air as the waiter suggested. She was starting to feel lightheaded. In the meantime more and more guests fell unconscious, either on the floor or over the tables; some even started snoring while just sitting on their chairs. She tried to look towards the podium, where she noted two burly men holding onto the Commissioner who was also wearing a gas mask and had a terrorized look on his face as he saw the people falling over around him. One of the men pulled a gun and aimed it at Gordon's head.

A man from a nearby table rose from his chair and staggered clumsily towards Barbara's table only to fall over it and slide down to the floor with loud groans and moans.

"Show off…" The waiter said just before he whistled loudly. The smoke started to dissipate and the other masked waiters looked at him as if expecting orders. "Why can't people fall sleep quietly these days? Has to be something in the water." The waiter giggled. "Boys…you can go out and play now…"

"What do you want?" Gordon asked to the men beside him as he pulled the gas mask off his face.

"We would like to hear your speech, Gordy. The one where you tell us this beautiful city has nothing to worry about. That they are safe from evil and harm, because everything is alright, right?" The waiter said holding tightly to the Commissioner's daughter as he motioned to the rest of the guests. "This is the proof of that, I think..."

"Who are you?" Gordon blurted trying to rush towards his daughter when the two men beside him held him in place. "…and leave my daughter alone you-!" That voice. Gordon recognized that voice…_NO!_

"Now, now, now, Gordy… No need to get defensive here." The waiter said as he busted in a hysterical laughter and peeled his face like a mask to reveal the pale skin framed underneath by bloody red lips. "I know this dance. We've done this before remember? "

The waiter tightened her grip on Barbara's neck, lifting her slightly from the wheelchair. The Commissioner's daughter protested as she started to gasp for air. "And to answer your question, Commish…I'm the funniest man in this city and the reason I would like to hear your speech is because maybe you can tell me, what is there to celebrate tonight? The city is a pandemonium, your Bat-detective is gone, thanks to me no less, and I have fooled your security here tonight, surely making this night memorable for all your guests.

"Look at all this people gathered here. This city really loves you, your daughter loves you. But have you ever felt lonely, abandoned, betrayed? Tell me Commissioner, have you ever being in pain? And I don't mean just a headache or an ingrown nail, you know? I mean real pain. You're part of a corrupt system that fools this city into a false sense of bliss, and who better than me to wake up this city to the true reality of their misery…?"

Joker pulled an air horn from his pants and pressed the button. The loud strident sound resonated so hard within the hall that even the chandelier on the ceiling shook violently. "Wow…that was loud." The Jester said between massaging an ear. "HEY GOTHAM, am I missing anything? Oh yes…I'm also about to snuff the Comish's daughter."

"You're not going to get away with this, Joker…!" Gordon spat still while fighting the henchmen's grip. One of the thugs hit the Commissioner on the back with gun, forcing the old man on his knees. Barbara screamed while still in Joker's grip.

"Oh, too late! I just did…because you and your department are a whole bunch of idiots and I'm a criminal genius. And tonight…well, I'm your main entertainment." The Jester answered with a large smile on his face. "So let's go and get this party started…"

"Maybe I am a much better match for you, Clown…" Joker heard a voice as loud as thunder say above him. He lifted his gaze to see the Man of Steel hovering in midair a few feet in front of him. The waiters who had started removing wallets and jewelry from the unconscious guest backed off at the intimidating presence of the Superman.

"Oh my God! The Hovering Dumbass just joined the party. Everybody take cover…!" Joker retorted faking terror in his voice. He pulled his .38 swiftly from his tux and placed it firmly against Barbara Gordon's temple. The sardonic smile widened evilly across his face and he continued to giggle. "They say you're faster than a speeding bullet…mind if we test that theory at close range?"

"Don't tempt fate, Joker. If anybody here gets hurt because of you, especially her, I'm not holding back and you're going to be in a world of pain. Your choice."

"Ooohh, scary…I think I just wetted my pants." Joker responded as he started to giggle. "You cannot make me feel any more pain than I feel right now, Blue Boy. So try something new."

"I'm not going to say this again. For your own good, put the gun down and surrender." Superman asked lifting an eyebrow as he landed in the middle of the room.

"I've been twice to your hometown and you have not impressed me a bit. I'm too much Clown for you, Supes so shoo or Barbie here gets it now."

The man of steel stared strangely to the Clown Prince of Crime. Didn't this madman know who he was dealing with? The Kryptonian tried to take a deep inhalation to use his powerful breath against the Jester when he felt a deep pain in his chest. He winced and had to let go of the air slowly before the pain finally gave way.

"Need a mint, cupcake…?" Joker said obviously enjoying this little game. "Isn't this the part where you run for your life?"

"You must be out of your mind if you think I'm scared of you, Joker. Now put the gun down and step back."

"What is it with everybody always saying I'm crazy…? First the bat, then you. Just…damn…rude. Batman said the same thing until I started pulling his skin off strip by strip. Oooh how he screamed at first, but he finally saw things from my point of view..." Joker giggled childishly. "See Stuporman, I always get what I want and I want to hear Gordon's speech now so be a good boy scout and do us a favor. Fly back to Metropolis and tuck Luthor into bed with a big kiss on that bald head of his. We don't want you here."

"The speech is over, Joker and I'm not repeating myself. Step. Back…" The Kryptonian focused his eyes on the Joker's gun. The Clown quickly felt the weapon in his hand get incredibly warm. He turned around slightly, forcing the heat rays to reflect from the mirror like name tag on the lapel of his uniform. Superman was surprised by the full strength of his own superpower and rubbed his eyes painfully.

"Ha…! Trying to play dirty, eh? Well, Supes, if you wanna stay that bad…then grab a chair and join the celebration…" Joker said as his eyes narrowed furiously. He rose from beside Barbara Gordon with a roar and with strength fueled by anger Joker hurled a nearby guest chair over the table at the Man of Steel. Superman caught the chair effortlessly in one hand and set it slowly on the floor beside him. Joker looked at the Kryptonian with awe, still huffing and puffing after the effort.

"If that's the best you can do, Joker-."

"You really make it look easy Supes, but you realize how heavy that chair was?" Joker said while trying to hold back a cackle. "I need to work out more, man…"

"You are under arrest…"

"Sure, sure. Hey, I know when I'm beat Stuporman. OK?" Joker admitted while signaling one of his henchmen to take care of the Commissioner's daughter. He put his gun back in his jacket and jumped over the table advancing to meet the Man of Steel in the middle of the ballroom. He stopped hardly two feet from the Kryptonian and extended his hands together at the wrist as a sign of surrender. "Just be gentle and I will tell you all I did to your batty friend. Might even tell you where I buried him alive."

Superman stared at the Clown Prince with some reserve as he grabbed the Jester's hands angrily with his. The Joker grimaced at the pain elicited by the superhuman hold, but held his ground.

"Ohhh, such a manly hold….what am I gonna dooo now? This is the end, isn't it?" The Jester said faking despair. "Please be gentle, it's my first time with an alien."

Superman felt beads of sweat form on his temple. He looked at the Clown strangely. "You're crazy…"

Joker leaned closer to the Kryptonian and whispered softly. "OK, I admit it…I'm a certified lunatic, but you're a certified idiot. Did you forget that with me…you always expect the unexpected? Page twenty-two of the Cape Crusader's manual...don't trust the Clown. Why are you sweating now, Supes? Too hot under the cape?"

The Man of Steel broad face suddenly lost all color and might have even acquired a faint green hue that Joker found hilarious, for he produced a large toothy smile. The Kryptonian started to sweat profusely and Superman's legs weakened under his weight forcing the hero to lose his balance and fall to the floor on his knees, almost taking the Jester down with him. Superman looked in terrible pain as he started shaking on the floor.

"Now, now…don't beg. You knew it was not going to work between us…you're from another planet for heaven's sake! HA!"Joker said laughing heartedly. "You know Supes…all of a sudden you don't look too good…I think you're getting the cosmic flu."

"What…did you…do…to me?" Superman finally let go of the Joker and tried to steady himself on the floor. His eyes moved nervously from side to side as if the world was spinning around him at great speed and even his arms lacked the strength to hold him up. He started to moan painfully and slowly leaned forward and closer to the ground until he touched the floor with his forehead.

"Why is everybody blaming things on me…?" Joker protested. "I'm gonna end with a severe guilt complex here, people. GEEZ! As if I needed another psychosis."

"This…pain."

"Enjoying the view from the floor, beefcakes? I hope, because your pain is just starting."

Superman started dry heaving.

"It feels…it feels like…" Superman started to say showing great effort in trying to put coherent words together.

"Kryptonite…? I'm impressed. You're not as dumb as you look…"The Jester said as he kicked Superman on the abdomen with all his might. The Kryptonian curled up, and turned over to lay on his back moaning while Joker paced around him. The Clown pulled his gun and fired twice at the inert figure on the floor who screamed in pain as the bullets bounced off the broad blue chest and hit a nearby table.

"Hmmm…Weakened but still bulletproof…Interesting, though disappointing. I was hoping I was going to get rid of you once and for all. First the Bat, then the flying boys scout. I was on a roll, tonight." Joker said playing with the gun in his hand. "Oh well, at least I can make you hurt." The Clown Prince emptied ten remaining bullets from his .38 on the weakened Kryptonian, smiling complacently at the painful response he obtained after each shot.

Joker replaced the empty clip in his gun with a new one and looked at Gordon on the podium, who had a terrified look on his face. There were not many people who could take Superman down with such ease and the Clown was the last person he thought capable of such a feat. Joker knelt beside the Man of Steel and leaned close to his ear. "That should have to do for now until I figure what else to do with you... and before I forget, Lexy sends his regards, along with a small sample of green Kryptonite. One very expensive gift for you because to melon-head…you're worth every gram of it?"

The Jester looked at Punch who held Barbara leaning over the table at gunpoint. "Now I need to have Ms. Gordon here…time is running out, and I have to give the Commish a reason to celebrate tonight."

"JOKER, PLEASE DON'T!" Gordon pleaded at the top of his lungs. "KILL ME, NOT HER!"

"Aren't we the brave knight in shining armor, Gordy? You're really willing to die for her?"

"What did you expect, Joker. She's my daughter," Gordon responded emphatically. "Now take your murderous whims on me and let her go."

"And what about all those MP's and military stiffs you want to bring here to play? You broke a cardinal rule on my city, Gordy…you didn't ask me. Someone needs to pay for that too."

"Is that what's bothering you? Sounds to me like you're afraid of the military putting an end to your stupid games and throwing you back in your cell?" Barbara said defiantly from her place beside Punch. Joker turned around and eyed the thug evilly to which Punch just shrugged nervously. He's eyes were then solely on Barbara.

"Bring her here." Joker ordered in a dark tone. Punch pushed Barbara on her wheelchair to meet with the Jester in the front of the ballroom, and in plain sight of Commissioner Gordon. The Joker knelt in front of the chair meeting her pale green eyes…that glinted at him with defiance and resentment. Joker's frown turned into a smile.

"Nobody calls me a coward, love." Joker hissed angrily. "You afraid to die, Ms. Gordon?"

"JOKER I BEG YOU. DON'T—." The Commissioner started to protest when Joker ordered his men to silence the man with an angry gesture. Gordon fought the gag and manhandling with all his strength.

"Go ahead Clown, kill me. I dare you to pull that trigger on me." Barbara said defiantly. "You can't hurt me anymore than what you already have…"

"Such brave last words… they are a real tear jerk for sure." The Jester said wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Look at me Joker. Look where I am thanks to you…or have you forgotten what you did to me?"

The Jester made a pause. It had been so long ago, but he remembered arriving at her apartment and shooting her point blank in the abdomen. He remembered taking her clothes off and taking pictures of her bloodied, naked body to show her dad later in an effort to drive the Commissioner out of his mind. And for what? To prove the fact that he was not the only one who could go insane after losing what he loved most…

That was years ago. God…He had been feeling this angry and lonely for that long…?

The Jester extended a hand to touch Barbara's face, when she pushed him away. Tears had started to fall down her eyes, but these were not tears of pain or sorrow…these were tear of resentment, frustration, hatred. Behind those grey watery eyes, Joker could see the fire of her anger, burning bright.

"You are so much like him, you know? Angry." Joker finally said. Barbara eyed him without knowing the meaning of his words.

"You made me this way because you're a coward. I didn't know you, I was unarmed and yet you shot me and enjoyed my pain like it was some kind of sick joke." she blurted out angrily when Joker slapped her. A small tickle of blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"BARBARA!" The Commissioner screamed pulling on the thugs trying to hold him down.

"Sorry…really sorry…but I really hate being called a coward, especially when they hardly know me." Joker said bashfully. "You, like him…don't understand, but it's not easy being me…"

"Tell that to the thousands you have killed…" Barbara said gloomily massaging her face. "Then to the other thousands you have maimed…"

Joker growled, grabbed Barbara by the neck and pushed her against the chair.

"Yes, I've done some regrettable things, but why I should talk to any of them? Nobody has ever cared to listen to me. That's why they're all dead." Joker aimed his gun at the Commissioner's daughter as he let go of her neck. Barbara started to cough. "After all, I'm nothing more than an insensible monster incapable of love, even remorse. Isn't what you all think of me?"

"Your behavior does not leave much to the imagination. You like to hurt and kill people."

"No, that is what you want to see. Like the Bat, all is Black and White to all of you. Did you know Eddie was ostracized all his life for his genius, or the horrors Jonathan had to go through with his father? No, nobody cares to hear those stories. They are totally meaningless. The only important thing is that we're all psychos and deserved to be locked up in cages or worse…euthanized. Nobody wants to hear us anymore."

"And what's your story, Joker? Daddy beat you up, your mother didn't show you any love?"

Again Joker slapped the Commissioner's daughter. "Shut up! You don't know anything about me. I promised him I was going to be good, but you are pushing the wrong buttons and making me very angry."

"Because that is a lot easier, isn't it?"

_What?_ Joker thought finding himself for the first time in a lack of words. Could it be true that he had taken the easiest of roads and just let the anger inside dictate who he would become. All his chaos just a byproduct of an anguished soul and a raging heart?

"NO! Because when you have something to say and nobody listens…you yell. I was not always like this. I had a family once. I…was in love once. I had a life and everything came crashing down on me. Now I have nothing more than an acrylic cage in that thing you call an Asylum."

"And then you take your rage with everybody around you. That sounds like a bully to me."

"I'm not a bully!"

"Love can be painful…but will never cause the destruction of the object of its affection."

"Then why it is that your misery makes me feel better? Why it is that when I hurt, I want to ease my pain with yours? I'm hurt because I miss being in love; hence I cause pain to you and your loved ones in the same measure it makes me hurt…It's only fair."

"You're sick. Do you realize how illogical that statement is, Joker? Your insane mind is combining pain and love together in the same sentence…"

"IT'S NOT INSANE! They are the one and the same…" Joker said as he released the lock on his .38. "Anyone who had ever said to love me, have hurt me in some way. Why would I be any different with you all…?

"Whoever hurt you because they loved you, lied to you. Love would never hurt on purpose, would never kill, and would never cause pain… and though I should hate you with all my heart and soul for what you did to me, now I'm really sorry for you." Barbara stared into those two emerald eyes in front of her. This man, the Clown Prince of Crime, who had killed so many over the years in the name of comedy, was not trying to be funny tonight. The Jester was trying to project his own frustrations, as a justification of his violence.

"Sorry...as if you cared..." The Jester piped with a sneer.

"I'm sorry because you can't live in peace. You are like a junkie...addicted to your violence and your chaos. You've known nothing else when there is so much more out there. You just need to act like a grown up and face your pain head on."

"You think I act childishly…?"

"Having violent tantrums like this, just because the world does not bow at your whims is something a child would do. Look at you now. You are just like an angry child playing with a loaded gun in his hand."

Joker lifted his gloved hand ready to strike the Commissioner's daughter again when he stopped in mid air. Grow up…Yes. He was behaving like a brat again. He was projecting his own frustrations on the people around him. He was in his rage, leaving a trail of violence and mayhem behind. This was what Batman hated most of him…when he started to hurt people around him. Will he ever be able to control this anger within him?

Joker lowered his hand and held the barrel of his gun firmly in his hand. He closed his eyes as he tried to concentrate on something that will help him dissipate the anger. He thought of the blue eyes of the Dark Knight. Those eyes, blue as the sky in a cloudless day. He felt calmer for a moment.

"I…I didn't realize…" Joker said admitting defeat on this argument. "Do I really act like a bully?"

"Remember what you did to me, forgetting MY PAIN, or the pain you might be causing on my family, on my friends. You don't care about anyone but yourself. The world with an insignificant exception is composed of everybody else. When was the last you cared about someone in your life?

"A long time ago," The Jester said solemnly "My wife."

"You're what?" Barbara inquired taken aback by the unexpected answer. Your wife? And what would she say if she saw you now?"

"Not very nice things…" The Joker removed his finger from the trigger. Instead he just stared into her eyes, a deep sadness glinting inside those once joyful emeralds in his face. For the first time, he felt embarrassed. "I'm …I'm sorry…"

"What?" Barbara let out as she focused on the green eyes of the Jester. Was this another one of his sick jokes?

"I'm really sorry…for hurting you and your father over there that day I had almost forgotten. I'm sorry I came here tonight and spoiled your evening…like this." The Jester said looking around him with an air of sadness in his eyes."This definitely didn't go as planned."

"What…?" Barbara responded gingerly. "Is this one of your cruel jokes?"

"It's not. Maybe I have made some big mistakes in my life and they are all catching up with me. I don't think I deal too well with pain or anger. I have one question for you Barbie," Barbara couldn't believe her ears. Was this monster actually apologizing? Why? What type of sick game was this psychopath trying to play with her mind? Joker looked down to the floor as he started to play with the gun in his hand. "Tell me Ms. Gordon. You've been in love before... What do you feel when you're in love?" The Jester asked softly, almost to a whisper. "Don't you feel this fire that threatens to consume everything around you…?

Barbara hesitated to answer to that question, not knowing where the conversation was heading. What was the Joker trying to prove or do by asking these questions? "What you're describing is rage…When I'm in love, I feel joy…"

"Not me," The Jester retorted shaking his head violently. "I haven't laughed in a long time. I can't find joy in anything I do. My life is incomplete, like a puzzle. I need to feel something different…I need someone to make me feel differently."

"When things get hard, you just have to hope. They will get better."

"Better? But look at you. I put you in that chair. You can only dream of walking in the park or running in the Boston marathon. How can it get any better? Hoping is just insane Ms. Gordon and believe me, I have a doctorate in insanity. "

"Because they can't be any worse."

"Ehem. You'll never walk again." Joker said pointed to her legs.

"Hard to explain when someone has been a slave for so long, but walking is not necessary to feel alive and free." Barbara said softly. She didn't know what Joker was trying to say, but his melancholy was crystal clear through his words. "You, walking on your own two feet, carry heavier chains than I do Joker."

Chains. He was carrying chains. Those words hit him deep in his gut. She was right. He was bound to his own pain and his own suffering. He was bound to his desire to make the world feel just like he felt. He was a prisoner of his own past. He had been a prisoner of his own insanity. He needed more. Another murder would not set him free…only true and unselfish love. He finally understood what it all meant…

The Clown Prince smiled. "Heh, you're definitely a lot like him and at the same time…so different. The Bat could get a lecture on seeing the bright side of life just listening to you. Pity you are too short to be his Batgirl. She with your personality would make a great match for the angry lonely Bat."

Joker sighed and put his gun away. He had no interest in causing any more pain tonight. He was still empty, deep inside his chest he could almost touch the dark lonely place where his heart had once before beat at the rhythm of someone he had loved. How could he be sure of anything when he couldn't be sure on how to react himself against the emptiness…He had been fighting this solitude for so long… and he had lost his hope for anything else.

"Have you ever thought on having your own TV show, Ms. Gordon…? Maybe I can arrange for you to take Dr. Phil's spot. "The Jester said as he turned around and walked towards Superman who moaned weakly on the floor. From a pocket of his waiter uniform he pulled a large green glowing piece of Kryptonite and tossed it across the room. "Thank the Lady here I don't want to finish you up just yet. Hellooo! Where is the fun when you are not even conscious?"

Can I tell you a secret Barbara? I never wanted this to happen tonight. Not like this. I just wanted to show you all what I was capable of doing and I got a little carried away by my anger."

"And killing all these people made you feel better."

"Kill? I don't see anybody dead in here do you, Barbara?

"Thought you came here to murder my father… the Mayor or-. Didn't you use your venom on the guests tonight?"

"No, no, no. You got it all wrong. I just came here to play. The people on the ground, are they smiling? No, and they are not dead, just unconscious. You and your dad can just go home, while the Boys Scout can annoy Lexy for a while for selling me the Kryptonite. Fun times!"

"This was just a charade…one of your jokes?"

"You could call it that, but this time the Joke is on me." Joker said looking at the Commissioner that just stared back with a puzzled look in his face. He turned and walked towards Gordon and gently set his .38 special on the podium. "Gordy, here…a token of my appreciation. I would not need this at all tonight. And the Kryptonite in the corner…you can flush it down the toilet if you want."

The Jester turns to his men. "Hey boys, time to stop fooling around and just go home. This has been a long and strange night."

"Not murdering anybody?" Gordon asked.

"Don't you think I have spilled enough blood in your city to last us a few lifetimes? The night is young and beautiful. Enjoy it, Gordy. This is still your night. Ta, ta!"

Joker bowed and hastily abandoned the Ballroom with his men, leaving Gordon and his daughter all alone. The Commissioner rushed to Barbara's side and hugged her tenderly.

"You Ok, dear? Are you hurting?"

"I'm fine, dad…" Barbara answering eying the door Joker had exited through. This had been a strange night and she wondered if it all had been just a bad dream...

"What the hell was that?" The Commissioner's daughter shook her head.

"I don't know…but we need to help Superman. I think he was exposed to Kryptonite for too long," Barbara looked around through the ballroom noticing the people on floor had started to moan. Murder was indeed not in the Clown's mind at all. What could have happened to the Clown Prince of Crime? This…was not his regular behavior. "And this people will be hurting as they wake up…we need to call for medics…"

"They took my cell phone…" Gordon said sadly… "I'll go to the lobby and use the phone there…you sure you're going to be OK…?

"Yes, don't worry about me…"

Gordon rose and started to leave the ballroom when he stopped by the Man of Steel on the floor. The Kryptonian was very pale and looked exhausted. The Commissioner was quickly joined by his daughter in her wheelchair. She set a tender hand over his shoulder.

"Barbara… he's too weak…"

"It's the Kryptonite's effect."

Gordon looked around and saw the glowing piece of green glass by the far end wall. He rushed and picked up the shard with his handkerchief tying it tightly with a knot. He turned to her daughter,

"I'll get rid of this."

"Go." Barbara said with a nod. "I will keep an eye for him."

Gordon nodded back and bolted out of the ballroom. Superman moaned and extended a feeble hand towards the Commissioner's daughter.

"I'm sorry…I couldn't help…my fault…"

"Don't be sorry. You were not ready for Joker's bag of tricks…and it seems neither was I. All is going to be fine." As a matter of fact, she thought that no one would ever have been ready for what had transpired here tonight, especially her conversation with the Jester. What was the meaning of all this? The Joker was in a killing spree that apparently didn't kill anyone? The King of Clowns in a lousy, gloomy mood, admitting he had not laughed in a long time and talking about love? Who was really Joker? The monster she knew, had now become her greatest mystery.


	17. Light at the End of the Tunnel

**ED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's Note:** Hello, here I am here with another installment. I would like to take the moment to thank all of the fans that had kindly communicated me their interest and love for this story. It means a lot. And to think that this story was only an experiment supposed to be three chapters long...but you all had made it what it is, and had kept my muse working overtime. Thank you...and my hat off to you all._

_Special thanks to my newly found friends at the Joker site in Live Journal: JOKER VENOM ADDICTS. I was very surprised to find fans there, and to you all my most sincere gratitude. This chapter is dedicated to you all...because you are all very dear to me. Thanks for your support._

_I'm still searching for a beta, so whoever is interested please PM me or send me an is my second language, and it sometimes gets hard to see the big blunders... Please help me make this an even better story._

_Lastly, please let me hear your thoughts on the story. All comments welcomed...except flames._

_Well, without any more delays...here is your new chapter._

_Disclaimer 1: Batman and related characters belong solely to DC COMICS_

_Disclaimer 2: Some scenes will contain SEXUAL and MATURE content, so please be advised as you read_

**Chapter 17: Light at the End of the Tunnel**

Gordon was talking to Lieutenant Bullock and Detective Montoya by the large awards table in the front of the room, when Robin arrived accompanied by Batgirl. Medics were scattered all around the room, attending to some of the guests, examining others and helping those that were still unconscious on the floor wake up from their forced slumber.

"Cass, take a look around and don't overlook any detail, for insignificant it may look." Robin said as he stopped by Batgirl. "With Joker, every bit of evidence can be crucial…"

"I will start interviewing some of the guests as well." She responded walking towards a group of men dressed up in tuxedoes that were speaking to a police officer.

"Good. I'll join you in a moment after I speak with Gordon." Tim said noticing a group by the far end of the room where he could identify Kent and Vicky Vale. He kept on walking until he met with the Commissioner and his detectives.

"Evening, sir." Tim started as he nodded at Gordon and then the other two detectives. "Good to see you are OK. What is the death toll so far…?"

"Zero." The Commissioner answered simply.

"No one was murdered? But he usually leaves a trail of corpses behind him."

"Not a single guest was seriously injured tonight." Montoya said. "He used sleeping gas instead of Joker toxin."

"Barbara and I were the main targets…" Gordon said. "But he seemed to have a change of heart at the last moment. A very strange change of heart"

"I find it hard to believe coming from Joker…

"You tell me…?" Gordon said putting his hands on the pockets of his tuxedo. The Commissioner was obviously still shaken by the events. "That Clown subdues Superman, puts a gun on my daughter's head, and threatens to kill her in front of me because he feels miserable. I will never understand that psycho and I will never forget this night."

"Is Ms. Gordon Ok?" Tim inquired with concern.

"She's fine," Gordon responded. "She was very brave stating her ground in front of the Clown. And at the end he just gave me his empty gun and left like nothing happened then told me to enjoy my night. Can't believe it."

"He is nuts, but tonight was the worst of his psychoses." Bullock said pulling a cigarette box from the pockets of his coverall. "Firing at Superman…NUTS!"

"Superman? Joker dared firing at the Man of Steel?"

"Even in his weakened state, bullets still bounced off Superman." Montoya quickly explained.

"And each one must have hurt like hell. You should have heard him on the floor while the Joker shot him."

"Kryptonite." Robin said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This Clown was well prepared for the Man of Steel. How did he know Superman was in the city?

"Which Joker surrendered along with his gun. Even hinted he had bought it from Luthor." Gordon said motioning to the far end of the table where a paramedic was taking the Commissioner's daughter blood pressure. "But how did he know that Superman was going to show up tonight?"

"I don't know, but I will find out. Where is Superman now?" Robin inquired looking around for either the Man of Steel or Clark Kent.

"He left. He looked weak and said he needed to reach the Justice League's medical facility. What happened here tonight made no sense…what do you think Joker is planning now, Robin?"

"With the Joker it is never easy to predict his next step especially when he deviates from his usual MO. Mind if I ask your daughter some questions, Commissioner?"

"No, not at all, Robin. Actually I think she will be happy to help."

Robin nodded and walked over to the Commissioner's daughter that was speaking with the paramedic beside her who was now taking her pulse.

"Miss Gordon…may I have a word with you?" He said politely, trying to hide the fact that he really knew Barbara.

"Oh, Robin…sure." She said turning to the medic. "I'm fine, really."

"Fortunately for you…the gas doesn't seem to have cause any permanent damage. Take it easy and rest, Ms. Gordon." The medic responded as he gathered all his equipment in his bag. "I'll be around with the other victims if you need me. This has been one insane night."

"You have no idea…and thanks." Barbara responded with a smile as the medic grabbed his bag and left. She gave Tim a furtive look and a smile. "Did my dad already put you up to date?"

"The totally emo Joker, Superman subdued by Kryptonite, and the weird face off between you and the clown?" Robin cocked his head. "Yes, he told me. What do you think of all this?"

"I don't know what to think. Joker was not being….well, Joker."

"Changing his MO is a way of throwing us off."

"I thought he was just throwing us off," she said with a sigh. "But you had to look into his face to know he was not playing. Then he talks all this nonsense of feeling miserable, and being in love and hurting because of it. Did you know he even talked about his wife?"

"What wife?" Robin gave Barbara a quizzical look.

"The only person he admits having cared for in a long time. Now, how crazy is that? Finally surrenders his gun and the green Kryptonite and says it is all a big joke. That he didn't mean to hurt anybody."

Robin's eyes opened wide. He suddenly remembered his conversation with Vicky Vale at the hospital and immediately knew what she was referring to. He had a chill. How far was the Clown going to take this fantastical obsession about love for his nemesis, the Dark Knight?

"You said he talked about been in love and hurting?" Robin asked.

"Yes. And you should have heard the other things he said." Tim remained attentive and Barbara went on. "That he was lonely; that every time he has being loved he has ended in pain, so he would return the pain. He really believes pain and love are the same thing. Robin, I think the Joker finally lost it"

"That is highly unusual..."

"I tell you…he was saying there could be no love without some pain. It sounds perverted and twisted at the same time, but he really looked like he was suffering. You could tell that there was something really wrong with him."

"You know Joker. His perception of reality is anything but standard… and he has a taste for the theatrical."

"Then this was one of his best performances ever because for a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. I even tried to make him understand that there was more than just pain, and suffering. God, he then apologized for what he did to me. That's what got me. I wasn't expecting that."

"He did what?" Robin asked not sure of what he had just heard.

"He said he was sorry for hurting me…making my dad suffer." She stopped and rubbed her hands together to relieve the anxiety. "I really still can't tell if he was joking or really meant what he said when he told Superman he had killed Batman. He seemed so sad but calm and poised, and at the same time so unpredictably dangerous. A living contradiction."

"I doubt he did kill him. Joker would have broadcasted his victory because he can't avoid the spotlight. He needs to show off."

"Maybe he was just showing off, but I think he really felt…distraught. Weird."

"And he was ready for Superman. That is concerning. What else is he ready to do next…"

"Lois Lane is here. She's been active in the local news investigating Batman's disappearance. I saw her once or twice in the news…maybe Joker saw her too and assumed Superman would be close by."

"Batman has taught me to always expect the unexpected with Joker." Robin said looking over to see Vicky Vale and Lois Lane taking to some cops."Though I don't think anybody could have expected what happened tonight."

Barbara remained silent for a moment, in deep thought. This really had been the strangest night in her whole life; very close of having lost it at the hands of a madman for a second time. The same psychopath that almost took her life before. What were the odds of that happening to a normal citizen she wondered.

"Robin," Barbara said very soft, almost to a whisper. "He said that he was in love without hope, and that he was in pain without ease. You think it could be Harley? She's always been after him."

"Everybody knows she worships the ground he walks on and that she's madly in love with him. But somehow, I don't think Harley is causing Joker's distress."

"Is there someone else?" Barbara inquired. "Maybe he has a crush with Vicky or maybe he's in love with an imaginary person. I don't know anymore."

"Nothing escapes you," Tim responded with a soft smile. "I think it is indeed all in his head."

"A psychosis of some kind?"

"Of the worst kind. He might be starting to lose grips with reality."

"Then he needs to be sent back to Arkham as soon as possible. Tonight nobody died but with a delusional maniac like the Joker, how long would our good luck last?"

"Or Batman's," Tim said as his eyes caught attention of Vicky Vale speaking on the phone while accompanied by the reporters from the Daily planet. "Excuse me. I have to check on the other guests. I will talk to you tonight. Maybe then we'll be able to clear this mess together."

"Sure," Barbara responded as Tim nodded affectionately and left in the direction of the reporters.

"Hi." Tim said to the group of reporters. "My name is Robin."

"Yes, the Boy Wonder," Lois said extending a friendly hand to the young hero. "We've heard all about you in Metropolis."

"Get that a lot. Everybody is OK?"

"Yes, except for this annoying headache. All I remember was seeing a green puff of smoke coming from under the table and everything went black." Lois looked around momentarily. "Say, has anybody seen Clark?"

"Clark?" Robin asked.

"Clark Kent." Vicky said. "He's another reporter from The Planet. He was here tonight."

"Oh, yes…" Tim said trying to sound sincere. "They told me they have to take Mr. Kent to the hospital. The gas made him really sick."

"Poor Clark. He is not made for these things." Lois said sadly. "I don't even know why he takes on this type of assignments."

"I heard it was just precautionary measure. I'm sure he will be OK." Robin replied quickly. "A close encounter with the Joker could be very frightening and dangerous. Hope it didn't scare you of visiting Gotham in the future, Ms. Lane."

"No, it didn't. Actually it made me curious as to why the Joker didn't kill us when he could. Unusual behavior for him, don't you think?" Lane said looking at the other reporters. They all nodded.

"This is the first time you see him this close. Imagine what it feels to face it for the second time in a week. I am getting tired of this."

"True and I think—God Lord Vicky! Have you seen your face? It almost looks like clown makeup…"

Ms. Vale put a hand over her face. The makeup must have started to fade away. Much to her embarrassment there was no reason to keep lying. "It's a remnant of my previous encounter with the Joker. He tattooed clown makeup on my face."

"Oh, so sorry. Didn't know. The news didn't say anything."

"I know, Lois." Vick responded. "I did not want to hit the headlines looking like a mad clown."

"You think he's somehow after you?" Lois inquired, switching into reporter mode inadvertently.

"I—." Vicky was at a loss of words for a second time this week.

"I doubt it," Robin interceded. "Like you Ms. Lane, she was out for the count. I believe this only involved the Commissioner and his family."

"You think we will have an opportunity for an interview with them, Robin?" Lois pleaded.

"Maybe later. The Commissioner is busy with the investigation and right now his daughter is recovering from the shock."

"I understand. Have you heard about Superman?" Lois stated. "I heard Joker weakened him and shot him when he tried to help us."

"The Commissioner said he left shortly after Joker. He said he seemed OK, but went to be checked over at the Justice League Headquarters."

"Kryptonite. It's the only way to weaken the Man of Steel." Lois said.

"Most likely." Robin added. "The police is investigating."

"And the first suspect should be Luthor. He has to be behind this." Lois interjected angrily while crossing her arms over her chest.

"But Joker and Luthor are like water and vinegar." Vale said not able to avoid unraveling the mystery. "They just don't mix."

"Somehow I suspect he was involved in all this." Lois said scratching her chin. "But Joker must have killed for that Kryptonite. That mineral is not cheap."

"And Joker is not as poor as you think." Vicky said. "He could have bought it in the black market for all we know."

"I always thought that being crazy and all, Joker would have to muscle his way around to get resources. Apparently I underestimated the Clown, and I need to be more careful with that."

"I agree, especially if we are not sure what the Joker's really after. Try to stay away from danger, ladies. If you'll excuse me now, I will continue the investigation."

"Sure," The three reporters said almost at unison as Robin left to meet with Batgirl at the podium.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

"Hope you have something we could use, because so far nothing is making sense." Robin stated having his exhaustion show through.

"Maybe," The Lady Detective said motioning to an area close to the microphone where there was a lot of brownish black dirt scattered over a large area of the podium. "You see this?"

Robin advanced a few paces and lean over one of the tiny piles of dirt, and picked up a small sample in his green glove to take a closer look. The mud, now dried and easily crumbled, was of a made of varied types of material, some sand, shells, and other sedimentary material he couldn't identify. "From a river bank or lake shore I would say."

"Good, so you noted it too. Joker's men had this on their shoes, maybe Joker as well. The Clown might be close to a body of water." Batgirl said joining Robin on the floor. "Didn't he used to have a warehouse at the Docks by the Aparo River?"

"Not anymore…Batman told me that the Police Department seized the property and demolished the building. They had found human remains buried under the properties foundations, some of them, where positively identified as Joker victims."

"But that doesn't mean that was the only property Joker owned on the Docks…does it?"

"No, you're right. Maybe we can analyze the soil sample in a lab and determine where it comes from exactly. We can then make a surprise visit to the clown and take back what belongs to us and save the children.

"I already got the sample…got enough to sent to the state lab if you want."

"Good. Finally a breakthrough."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Morning.

Joker looked out the living room window, towards the large freight cranes in the distance. It had been another day after another long restless night. He couldn't sleep after the events from the night before, and he had limited himself to sit by the window to watch the lights of the city flicker on, ships load and unload, stars rotate in the night sky, and the night slowly transmute into day.

What was wrong with him? He had never had any trouble pulling the trigger on anybody before? When he was about to do the Commissioner's daughter, something inside him turned the world in his head upside down, and murder stopped being funny at all…even repulsed him.

"I must be losing my touch," Joker said softly while letting out a long sigh. How could he entertain this city as the Clown Price of Crime if he couldn't find the Joke to inspire him anymore?

He wanted to pull the trigger on Barbara. Only then he could see Gordon's face after he had lost the thing he loved most. Hell, if Joker couldn't be with what he loved most, why should the Commissioner? Fair enough, no? But he couldn't pull the trigger…because of Him. The Bat.

If he would have killed her, the Bat would have hated him forever, and he could not afford to lose the Bat…not after he had come so close to him. The Jester ran a tender hand over his shoulder. This is where the Batman had touched him that night…and finally connected, even for an instant with his tortured soul.

"'I understand you, Joker…' he says," The Clown Prince purred, repeating the words the Knight had spoken to him that night. "Yes, you understand me, but could I ever inspire you to feel to feel something that even resembles love …?"

Laughing…God…it had been ages since he had felt happy and jolly. All he could feel what the rage and the frustration of not getting what he yearn the most: his King's acceptance and favor. The Jester rested against the window frame and continued looking out, where the first rays of the crepuscule glowed with fiery shades of yellow and orange through the clouds above the horizon. The Clown Prince snorted.

"_You are a mass murderer Joker. You are going to get back to the Asylum and then what?" _He said to his reflection in the window panes._ "Then you will be lonely all over again."_

"No if I can keep him here," The Clown responded to his own inquiry. "He can stay here with me."

"_How long…until the cops surround you?"_ The reflection answered_. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard from you…and you've said weird things before."_

"It's not stupid…It's love, can't you see it?" The Joker said with a sad and defeated voice. "Why can't you understand that I don't want to lose him; not when we have made so much progress? He said he understood me. He will stay here when he realizes how much he means to me. He will be mine."

"_You cannot lose what was not yours in the first place."_ He answered back to himself and the severity of the statement took him aback. It was as if someone had punctured his heart with a cold dagger. Where did that idea come from? This was love, real love, born from the deepest recess of his dark soul. Born, from hate and suffering…how could such a dark place give birth to something so strong, so powerful and so consuming as this passion he felt inside for the man under the mask? Then he remembered a poem…

"My love is of birth as rare,

as 'tis for object strange and high;

It was begotten by Despair

Upon Impossibility

_Magnanimous Despair alone_

_Could show me so divine a thing_

_But were feeble Hope could ne'er have flown_

_But vainly flapp'd its tinsel wing_. (Andrew Marvell)"

"_Cute, but that does not make him yours."_ Joker responded laughing at his reflection on the window glass_. He felt mocked._

"Why not? I can have anything I want. The Bat is mine and lives in my basement. You've seen him, no?"

"_Force him to love you…beat him up to a pulp until he confesses his love for you and what do you have at the end? A piece of meat rotting in a cage. The heart can't be subdued or owned, it is earned. And you don't have his…you never will._

"NO! THAT IS NOT TRUE!" Joker screamed to his reflection on the window when Lou quickly woke up and sat on the sofa looking around nervously.

"Boss, you OK…? What happened?"

Joker sighed. "Nothing. I'm fine. Go back to sleep, Lou."

The thug looked at the Clown Prince with some reserve, but opted to do as he was told and laid on the sofa again. Within minutes, Lou was snoring again. Joker looked out towards the horizon once more. Having these conversations with his own self were not getting him in a much better mood. He felt like two different people. Nobody had ever touched him like the Knight did. Why couldn't he stop obsessing over the Caped Crusader?

"_Sore spot, eh Joker?"_ He whispered to the reflection on the window. "_You know that what I'm telling you is true."_

"Shut up." If only he could silence that little voice in his head. Maybe he could put a bullet there…then maybe that was not a good idea after all.

"_The Batman in the basement doesn't love you…never will love you as long as he is a prisoner. You never forced Jeannie to love you, did you? You never chained Harley to a wall._

"I chained her to a bed post once." Joker said remembering the hazards he had Harley go though in the past. It seemed funny then, but now, he was not sure,

_That was just a mean thing to do, but the whole point is that no matter what you did, they both loved you freely…_"

Joker remained silently staring at the docks in the distance. This had touched him deep in his heart. Jeannie. She had been the only other love of his life. She loved him without reserves, even knowing what he was. She gave him her heart willingly, and he had given her his heart to keep, because that is what love is all about. Giving unselfishly.

The Batman was in his basement…locked up in an iron cage. He was not giving…he was taking away. Joker had his enemy's body, but he knew he did not have his heart. Not unless he could prove he was worthy of owning it and he knew there was only one way to earn that heart. He needed to give it up…and hope for the best. Joker sighed.

"He has to learn to trust me."

_And you have to learn to tough things up because right now, you are the weak link of this chain._

"I'M NOT WEAK!" Joker screamed again and Lou woke up again. This time the thug remained silent sitting on the sofa. Joker leaned closer to the window pane and whispered. "It's just that murder, is not a funny joke anymore. It's something he hates and If I do it, he will never forgive me. I don't want to push him away again."

_"Death is the greatest punch line.__ Without it, life does not mean a thing for the Joker, There is no reason for you or me to exist_." He said to his reflection.

His life had stopped having any meaning a long time ago when his wife and his son died that dreadful night. That's the night Jack died, and the Joker was born. Not able to live with himself, hee took his heart out, got a large smile carved in his face and decided to laugh at his miseries rather than cry…and he found it even funnier to laugh at other people's miseries. That was a rebirth

"_Kill him…" _he answered back. "…_or otherwise, you'll die."_

"NO!" Joker said emphatically. "That is not written in this show."

_Then what, Einstein?_

"Do something you'll never understand. Do the imaginable and hope."

_For what, a miracle? You're crazier than I thought._

"Over the mountains

And under the waves,

Under the fountains

And under the graves

Under floods that are deepest,

Which Neptune obey,

Over rocks that are the steepest,

Love will find out the way." (Anonymous 17th century)

_What a waste of talent. Your choice Jack…your funeral_

Joker looked beside him and saw Lou staring quizzically at him. Funny how crazy he must have looked to the thug that heard him talk to himself reflected in the window. smiled. "Well, good to see you're up because I need you and Punch to set the last act ready of this game."

"What is it, Boss?" Lou responded kind of lost at the Joker's words.

"Prove him I'm a man of my word. It ends tonight. Here's what I have in mind…."


	18. Dancing Alone in the Dark

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's note:** _Because you've all waited, patiently. Because you all believed in this story. Because without you all I will be nothing...**I AM BACK.** Now, after a long sabbatical, I think I have a clearer view of the path to follow with this story. Changes are on their way, including one on point of view, but it will be worth it, because you deserve the best story I can come up with and I'm working hard to make it possible. Bear with me, as my posts might not be as often as in the past, but I will do my best not to dissapoint you because you all deserve it. _

_To my friends from hi and lo...thank you all for the support you've always have shown me and my stories. Feel free to leave me your reviews and let me know what you think. You know it's always a pleasure to hear from you. To my critics...well, some more material for you to scrutinize and dissect to the most minimal detail and show me were I have faltered to help me become better and I'm still searching for a BETA. If anyone is interested, please message me or leave me an email. Even those who had offered in the past, we can still do this together if you are interested._

_This little chapter is a little long, but it's really the compedium of three chapters, so bear in mind there are are a lot of things happening setting the ground for future events. NOTE: there will be also another chapter added to Joker vs the World. From a One shot it will become a three parter (that's the plan for the moment)_

_Now, I don't want to bore you any more, but give you what you have been waiting for...another chapter. ENJOY, MY FRIENDS!_

_DISCLAIMER 1: BATMAN and all related characters belong to DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There might be instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS, including some instances of EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT. Reader's discretion is adviced_

**Chapter 18: Dancing Alone in the Dark**

Lieutenant Harvey Bullock entered the Commissioner's office finding Gordon standing by the window looking to the traffic down in the streets. He would have expected the Commissioner to have taken the rest of the night off after what had happened to him at the reception earlier tonight. But Gordon was not the man that would scare easy and tonight act of aggression from the Joker and his band of clowns, just made him more determined to putting an end to the violence.

"You called Jim?" Bullock said approaching Gordon by the window.

The Commissioner made a short pause to light up a cigarette and take a deep puff. "After what Joker did tonight, we should assume that Batman is not returning. We're on our own, Harvey and a war is coming."

"There's still the rest of the Bat-family, sir."

Gordon nodded. "They will do whatever they can to help, but face it Harvey. They are not Batman. The psychos will still think the city is for the taking and we need to get ready for them."

"Jim-."

"I'm tired of being pushed around by the likes of the clown and if he had hurt those children…Oh God forbid…that is not a crime I am willing to let go unpunished."

Bullock pulled his gun and checked the clip. "Payback?"

"No, it's not revenge, but why keep treating a disease with no cure? A disease that kills. Maybe euthanasia does not sound so radical after all." Gordon rubbed the bridge of his nose. "But first I need some order in this city. Besides the military intervention from the National Guard, I've requested the feds and the governor to declare a state of Martial Law for the city."

"You think that would help?"

"It will keep the innocent off the streets while we take care of the trash, one by one if we need to. Then we'll decide what we'll do with the Clown."Gordon took another puff of smoke. "I will need you and Montoya close to me, because right now, I feel the city crumbling around me."

At that very moment Montoya entered the office out of breath.

"Commissioner, it's the children. They've found the children"

"Are they—?" Gordon was terrified of finishing the sentence.

"You'll have to see this one to believe it. Even I don't understand it."

Gordon put out the cigarette on the ashtray on his desk and rushed past Bullock following Detective Montoya. "Activate all hospitals in the area, and start contacting the parents. Come on, we have no time to waste."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was almost 4:00am in the morning when Tim was still going over the dirt samples he had obtained at Gordon's award ceremony. It had taken him night to run all the samples on the mass spectographer and trans-analizer to and he was now sure of the composition of the soil in Joker's soles.

The high content of sediment he saw under the lens hinted that Joker and his men were probably staying very close to the mouth of the Gotham River on the north. It was a large area destined for the heavier cargo ships to load and unload their goods. Large warehouses were in the area and storage units extended in a radius of almost 40 miles wide. Still too much area to cover, but at least the circle was closing on his enemy. He only hoped he was in time to save his friend and mentor.

The main computer terminal in the cave beeped. Tim looked at the main monitor on the top level of the computer station to discover it was a call from Oracle.

"Computer, accept call," Robin was prompt to answer. "How are you doing Barbara?"

"Much better thank you. It's my dad that's a little paranoid, but you understand. He's worried that Joker might want to finish what he started."

"I don't blame him. This night could have ended badly."

"But it didn't. Don't you find that weird?" Barbara rested her head on her hand. "You should've been there. Joker actually sounded…confused."

"Yes, he is kind of confused." Tim responded tapping some numbers on the computer.

"You're not telling me everything, are you?" Barbara inquired.

"No, no…I'm just saying—." Tim responded agitatedly realizing he was getting into a very sensitive subject and Barbara would probably want to inquire more once she saw through him, because there was more to this case. "It's just embarrassing, Barb."

"What? Just tell me. You're worrying me."

Tim advanced to the computer station and sat at the main console. He felt he was carrying the world in his shoulders. "Joker…Joker thinks he has feelings for Batman."

"Tim, Joker hates Batman." A befuddled Oracle replied to the screen.

"That's what I thought too, but after speaking with Vicky…I'm not so sure anymore. I think Joker is…" the words hurt in his throat, "…in love with Batman."

Robin sighed and realized it was time to fill up Barbara even if it sounded totally insane. He proceeded to narrate the incredible revelations from Vicky's encounter with the Clown.

"Joker finally lost it." Barbara reacted to the story with visible concern. "You understand in the danger Batman is if Joker is this delusional?"

"In danger?

"The moment Batman refuses Joker's insinuations; he's going to make him angrier. You saw him tonight. Next time he could really mean business…and that means murder."

"Have not thought of it that way, Another reason why I need to find the Clown soon."

"Any leads with those soil samples?"

"Forty miles of riverbanks in the Northern Shores. Still too large an area to search even with all the Bat-family involved."

"Didn't the late Boss Doyle have a few warehouses in that area? Almost sure the police seized some drugs from Doyle there what….ten years ago?"

Robin corroborated the information in the Batcomputer. "Yes, but I don't understand."

"The warehouse Joker burned down last year at the docks, also had belonged to Doyle. Isn't that a little bit of a coincidence?"

"You are brilliant. I remember Batman saying that he suspected Joker might be leading some illegal dealings, maybe even trafficking to keep his flow of cash and this might be the piece we need to narrow that search." Tim responded opening a window in the main station monitor with the information on the warehouses.

"Interesting theory knowing Joker's impulsive nature, but makes sense. After Doyle ended up in prison, all his assets went into the open market. Joker might have acquired some of them very cheap, or knowing him, he could have muscled himself into them. I'll send the Birds to investigate and let you know what we find."

"Thanks. I'll do some more research in Doyle and keep you posted too. Robin out."

Barbara's image faded from the Batcomputer and from behind him, Tim felt a brief breeze. When he turned around, he saw the Man of Steel land amidst the main dome of the cave. The look on his face was heavy and tired, with his eyes glowing a heavy hue of blue and sadness.

"Wow, Clark…good to see you. When I talked to Diana she said-."

"I'm sorry Tim…" The Kryptonian said solemnly with his voice echoing in the emptiness of the cavernous vault.

"What?"

"I failed you all including Batman." Tim got ready to respond when Kent went on. "Please, forgive me. I was overconfident that a madman with no superpowers would be very easy to subdue. I was wrong and that could have resulted in the loss of innocent life. Now Batman is dead."

"Don't believe what the Clown told you. Batman is alive."

"How do you know?"

"Joker would have made a party of it. He needs Batman alive, for whatever he plans. And he just surprised you with Kryptonite, Clark. The son of a bitch is a trickster."

"And like an idiot, I walked right into his trap. There is no excuse, Tim. I should've known better."

"Well, you'll be glad to know that we are closing on the Clown."

"You know where he is hiding?" The Kryptonian inquired as he flew over to the console Robin was sitting at. A map of the area around the Gotham River appeared on one of the satellite screens of the computer station.

"We narrowed the area where he might be hiding to a strip of land along the Gotham River. The area is long, but we are quickly narrowing the search area."

"Then I know of a way to quickly narrow that search even more, if you still want me as part of the team…"

"Of course I do, but how can you narrow the search area?"

"Using the very same Kryptonite that psychopath used on me."

"Joker left the Kryptonite at the Convention Center."

"But he was wearing it. He must still have a very faint radioactive trail I should be able to trace. But we have to act fast, that trace could be fading as we speak."

"Is it safe for you after what happened tonight?"

"As long as I am not near him, I should be OK. Joker owes me. I want that clown behind bars more than you can imagine and see Batman and the children safe. I can help you find him."

At that very moment the main screen of the Batcomputer flashed in an intense shade of orange. The alert Tim confirmed had come directly from Gordon's office. Maybe the Commissioner had been able to get a stronger lead about the Batman's whereabouts. This seemed an unavoidable call. Robin open the secure channel and saw a streamed video of a large school bus surrounded by patrol cars. Emergency lights flashed everywhere and bright spotlights shone on the yellow and black bus. From the sides balloons and streamers waved in the winds

"You're seeing this, Robin?" It was Oracle voice on the speakers.

"What is it?"

"The children, they found the children!"

"Are they-," Robin was afraid of finishing the sentence.

"Don't know yet, this is police footage I have intercepted as they are not revealing much trying to keep the press out of it for now. But they have requested half a dozen ambulances. I don't like that."

"Me neither, they were just innocent kids. Bystanders."

"I'm trying to reach my dad to see what he can't tell me, but he's not answering…"

"We'll head over and see if we can help."

"You need a lift?" Superman offered.

Robin looked at the mass of military personnel and police vehicles. "Traffic is going to be heavy. I think that would be the fastest way. How do you feel?"

"Ready for action. Let's go."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The sun had started to glow timidly in the horizon. Through the broken panes of his office window, Joker could feel the chilly breeze of the early morning as he reclined comfortably on the executive chair at his desk. That is when he realized that he had not slept all night, but instead he had been so busy with his little plan that he had lost track of time. The Jester smiled, he could really get carried away when he was having too much fun.

"Ahh, all this peace and quiet…priceless. All ready for departure, Punch?"

"Uh…yes, sir. But are you sure you don't need someone here to…escort you?"

"I think I can deal with very tired bat in a cage, don't you think? Go. I won't be long." Joker quipped cocking his head paternally, his mouth extended in a sinister smile. "GO!"

Punch nodded nervously as he sped up out of the office. He knew better than to provoke the Boss, and when Joker you and wait for my orders.

The Jester took another look at the front page of the newspaper in his tablet and let out a deep triumphant sigh as he smiled. This was the culmination of his plan; the last stroke in a masterpiece of unbelievable proportions and beauty. He literally held the card of his triumph between his hands. There was no way Batman could refute the facts now.

Adjusting his tie, Joker put the tablet under his arm and flounced happily down the stairs to the basement door. He fumbled in the pockets of his jacket and pulled a golden key that he inserted on the lock. The Jester took a deep breath and opened the door starting down the stairs with a playful step.

"Hey Baaatsssy…look what I have for you, darling," He hummed a little tune that was lost in a sea of childish giggles until saw the empty cage at the end of the room. "Oh crap…not again."

Joker felt his heart drop to the ground. It was really dark in the basement as the only source of light, a lamp on the ceiling, seemed to have burnt out. And the feeble morning twilight entering the basement window revealed the cage's door wide open. Rage started to build inside him. Just as he was ready to trust the Bat, the rodent betrays him. How could he do this to him?

The Jester walked over and felt the door and there was no sign of them having being forced. HOW WAS THAT POSSIBLE? That cage was Batman proof, he had designed it himself with the Detective in mind…a masterpiece in its own right. Joker huffed and puffed angrily as he pulled his iPhone but before he had time to react, a large shadow moved fast past him and the next thing he knew, he was against the wall with his neck being crushed against the brick surface as something pulled hard on his phone trying to peel it off his hand.

Joker let the tablet fall to the floor and shook his arm. From under the fabric, a large knife slid down his arm to his hand. He slashed at the blackness in front of him when the darkness growled and crushed his bony wrist to the point where the pain made him let go of the weapon. He was spun around to face the wall and he felt a warm presence behind him pressing him hard against the wall and twisting his arm painfully on his back. As he still held to his phone, his hand was thrust forcefully against the wall several times. He could hear the crashing noise of the phone screen and casing.

"HEY LET GO!" Joker protested as he was tossed across the room and against the cage bars. The Jester hit the cage hard and fell to the floor trying to catch his breath. There was no phone or weapon in his hands which meant he'll have to improvise from now on.

He turned around to face the dark force that had manhandled him when in the twilight he recognized the silhouette of the Dark Knight, bare-chested and staring angrily at him. Joker looked behind him to the cage, touched it gingerly with a gloved hand and started to giggle. He then looked back at the approaching shadow. "HA, HA, HA…no electricity. I must've forgot to pay the electric bill."

Batman lifted the Joker by the lapel of his jacket and forced him against the bars. The detective showed the cracked iPhone in his and as he crushed it letting the parts rain over the Clown Prince's shoes. "No…I turn the power off and I will do the same to you if you don't tell me what you did with the children."

"The children, the children. Is that all you can think about? I'm hurt. Didn't you miss me?"

"They are nowhere in the building Joker. I'm not asking again. What did you do with them?" Batman said as he lifted the clown from the ground and pressed him hard against the cage.

"Is that what's having you PMSing, Bats? I thought you trusted me." Joker piped with a wheeze as the Bat pressed hard on him. "And that was an expensive phone. You owe me big."

"You mean an expensive torture device." Batman growled. "And you tell me one good reason why I should have trusted you. You never planned on letting the children go, did you?"

"Have to admit, it's always being hard for me to keep promises…" Joker responded when Batman slapped him sending him across the room to land underneath the window. The Jester tried to rise when he met the Detective's foot squarely on his chest forcing him against the floor. Blood started to seep from the left corner of a busted lip.

"I'm tired of your games Joker. You killed them didn't you?" Batman roared. "How could you? They were only children. THIS TIME YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR!"

"So you looked everywhere and that is your amazing conclusion? Your detective skills disappoint me."

"I told you you're very predictable. I dare you to prove me wrong."

"Well, sorry that you missed the show. It was to die for… really." Joker responded with a chuckle as he cleaned the blood now dripping down his chin. Batman lounged and lifted the Joker by the lapel of his jacket while he connected a fist hard into the Jester's midsection. While trying to regain his air, another fist against the clown's jaw sent him down to the floor.

"This is no longer about you Joker. Just tell me what did you do with the bodies?"

"Multiple…choice…question. Yes?" Joker fought the pain on his face and mid abdomen as he recovered his breath. "A: I stuffed the brats and had them for dinner with some Chianti and Baked Alaska."

"That's not funny…" Batman said lifting a moaning Joker from the ground. The Jester looked at him amusedly as he lifted two fingers in front of him.

Joker licked his lips. "No, but it's delicious (koff, koff). B: Swept their little remains under the living room carpet. Wait, I have no carpet." Joker chuckled. Batman jabbed the Joker even harder and the Jester fell hitting his face hard against the floor.

"Ow…that one…really…hurt." Joker complained as he wiped blood that was starting to drip from his nose while he crawled away from the hulking angry Detective atop of him. "You should do something with that anger, Bats. It will be your undoing one day, and it'll send me to the hospital tonight."

"Let me offer you option C: The kids stopped being amusing and you did what you've always done, you disposed of what bores you. No matter how much you talked about remorse, the truth is you don't feel anything for anybody. Just tell me what you did with them. I want to hear it from your mouth". Batman responded furiously pulling the Joker from one leg. "Show some dignity and confess."

The Clown Prince fought the Detective's grip on his leg, let out a loud angry growl, and kicked the Knight on the cowl. Batman, surprised by the attack, let go of the Jester's pants and stood unsteadily on his feet while the Joker lunged at him and pressed his hands against the Knight's bare chest. The gloved hands sparked as the electricity of his joy buzzers ran through the Batman's body causing the vigilante to stiffen and fall to the ground amidst convulsions.

"What a shock, eh Bats? All that fury, intelligence, and rage, and you can't still see beyond that stupid cowl. Do you really think you have everybody figured to a tee? Sorry for trying to get out of your mold, but I am not monochrome." Joker let go of the Batman's now limp body and kicked him in midabdomen at the same time he pushed back some wild green curls that had fallen over his eyes. The Knight protested with painful moan as the Jester stood over his aching body triumphantly. "All this bloody rage of yours, reminds me…of me. We are not that different now, are we?"

Batman stirred painfully on the floor when Joker kicked him in the midsection again. "Why Bats. Why does it always have to end this way? I just wanted you to trust me, to understand me. To feel something for me other than hate and what do you do? You lash your anger at me without even asking me how my day's been. Didn't your mother tell you to be good to clowns?"

Batman turned his legs on the floor and forced them under the Clown, making Joker lose his footing. Joker fell on his knees and lashed the hand with the joy buzzer towards his enemy. With a superhuman effort, Batman pushed the electrified hands away and pushed the Clown onto the floor using his massive weight to pin him down. In a swift move, he bent the Joker's arm so the joy buzzers were just millimeters from the madman's head just below his ghastly grin. Joker pushed back avoiding contact with his own contraption.

"You never cared for anyone but yourself, Joker." Batman said forcing his index finger into the trigger. "All I asked you was to let the children go, because I almost trusted you were capable of one simple act of kindness."

"Almost trust me…HA! Now THAT'S funny. You can't half trust people, Bats." Joker let out with great effort under the Detective's weight. "Did you half forgive me for your dead Robin too?"

"I just wanted a proof I could trust you…and you could not even give me that. It is so easy to just finish this here…with your very own joy buzzer…"

"OH YES! I can feel your anger….taking over. You're no longer a person, no longer a man." Joker snapped. "I dare you to do it, Bats. Why wait, get it over with!"

"…too easy, but it's not right!" Batman removed the joybuzzer off the Joker hand and pinned both of the Clown's hands to the floor under his knees. "I'm not a murderer like you."

"Then let me finish this game we were playing with option D: I set those brats free after all, because I wanted to show you that I could be trusted. Gaaa! Get off me. You're heavier than … PT Barnum's Elephant…Bingo!"

Batman remained motionless over the squirming Clown. "You're lying…"

"Am I? Then do what detectives do and look at the facts. That tablet I had…check the Gazette's headline. It's all there." Joker snarled as he pointed with his chin to the dark corner of the basement where he remembered dropping the portable electronic.

Batman slowly pulled off from the Joker and walked over in search of the tablet. Joker stayed lying on his back panting hard for a moment longer until he finally pushed himself up and curled himself against the wall. Tablet in hand, Batman opened the cover and the Gazette's headline glowed to life on the tiny screen. He read the headlines on the newspaper:

**JOKER RELEASES KIWANIS AND APOLOGIZES…REMORSE OR TWISTED JOKE?**

"I just never thought you would-after what you told me…I-." Batman responded putting down the tablet to look at the solitary figure sulking against the wall. For the first time, he felt sorry for what he had done. "Why wait until now to tell me? I could have—."

"Killed me? That would have been better than realizing you never trusted me. I am really trying to change, Bats. For you."

"Still you wanted me to beat you to a pulp…why?"

"Because only then, I have your full attention. It's a lot like dancing, see? You and your partner just paying attention to each other's steps…batarangs…or fists." The Jester let out a forced cackle. "But please, no more dancing for me tonight. I'm a wee bit sore."

Batman looked to the floor. He had let his anger take the best of him and almost make a horrible mistake. Could he really have been that blind? But since when could he trust enemies and among them, the craziest and most blood thirsty of all, the Clown Prince himself?

"That was insane, and" Batman made a long pause. "-thank you for letting-."

"Don't thank me because I did it for me too. They were starting to get on my nerves, 'cause I really don't like children." The Jester let out a sigh and stretched on the floor with a painful moan. "I can't believe you destroyed my iPhone. You know how expensive it was to get that phone. The long lines I made to get it and the long hours it took me to enhance it? By the way, can I have my joy buzzers back?"

"Don't push your luck. What you did... do you really want to change that much, Jack?" The Detective advanced a few paces towards the Joker who cringed against the wall at the approach. The Jester stared at him curiously. . "I can help you if you want. I can hire the best psychiatrist and get you the best treatment -."

"…money can pay. I know rich boy, but I'll have to pass. No more doctors for me. Actually, no more Arkham if I can avoid it."

"You need help, Jack…"

"And you don't? Bats, you almost killed a man out of anger that has been repressed since someone killed your rich parents a gazillion years ago. What type of psychosis will make a boy dress up like a bat and scare the living daylights of the criminals of this city? That could even be a new disease…just think. The Batman psychosis leading to the Nobel in Medicine"

"Jack, that's enough! I'm serious." The Knight snapped angrily. "With the right treatment-."

"Would you stop that?" Joker barked as he rose gingerly from the floor supporting himself against the wall. "It is you who encouraged me to change, not the idiots at the Asylum. They never tried to understand me, Instead, they just tried to fit me into one of the diagnoses in the MDS-IV in their libraries and win that book contract that would make them rich. They ineptitude just stirred the rage inside me. Do you blame me now?"

The Jester took a moment to get comfortable on the floor. "Yes I am sad, I feel remorse, I feel rejected, lonely and angry as hell. Sounds familiar? Why don't you use your millions to treat yourself first? Or is it that you don't see the psychotic man under the cowl?"

Joker dusted his jacket and went on "You really think that you are so different from me because you live in a mansion with butlers and maids, have lots of cash for your state of the art toys while the only thing I have is a thirst to see people die in very funny ways. Well, sweetheart, let me bust your bubble. My thirst for blood and your fetish for bats and bullying people come from the same repressed anger. You are an angry millionaire brat from Gotham elite with too much money and too much free time on his hands."

Batman looked at the Jester with great surprise. The blue orbs behind the cowl glinted with bewilderment as he heard the Joker's confession about discovering his secret identity. How much did the Joker really know? And if the Jester knew, how many of his enemies did know as well? All of a sudden Batman felt naked and vulnerable. Joker smiled perversely.

"Oh, God. You really thought you can hide something like that this long? Wonder why no one has noted, not even Eddie. I might not have your name, but I know you better than you know yourself." Joker let out a wild cackle. "Don't worry. I don't want a name tag on the Bat."

"Why not? It will give you the upper hand."

"But it's not who you are. That spoil brat that goes to business meetings to snooze on the last chair on the back, or the first class citizen who follows a boring script in those socialite parties you attend to pretend that you belong is not you. You don't belong to that world because you belong to mine." Joker straightened his green vest and the cuffs of his sleeves then gingerly touched the corner of his still swollen lip were the Batman had hit him. He protested the touch as he went on."I give your world meaning, just like you give me mine. You are only you when you don that cape and jump into the night to fight me. Only then you feel alive. I dare you deny it because you know it's true. You made me, but I complete you."

"I would prefer not having to fight you, Jack."

"Then why don't you quit? I'll tell you why…because you can't. You need this to be able to feel something in that empty chest of yours."

"You don't understand…"

"What? That the death of your parents determined the birth of the Dark Knight and the millionaire entrepreneur stopped belonging to the world of normal men to belong to the night? This is the only place where you can be…real, Bats. Like me." Joker said demurely as he removed wild green curls from his forehead and adjusted the collar of his shirt. "Tell me Bats, do the fancy lights of the glamour life of that millionaire playboy leaves you with a bittersweet taste in your mouth, like there must be something more out there, something more meaningful than attending hollow galas full of cardboard people? Tell me, Bats, how often you feel lonely in a room full of people as if you didn't belong there?" Joker looked up to the tiny window. "I know I do. Because I am nothing like them. I am much more than pearly white skin, green hair and a gorgeous smile. So are you."

"Then be more than what you are. Stop killing people. Let me help you."

"I heard that one before, long time ago from the lips of a very beautiful woman and you know something, Bats? You cannot fit a cube in a round hole. We're extraordinary individuals, in search of extraordinary experiences. I'm really trying here. You want your life to have more meaning than just the flying rat in the rooftops and I, for once want to find peace in my soul. Extraordinary individuals searching for the same thing…someone to take care of us selflessly. You're trying to find your Yin, while I'm trying to find my Yang. And ONLY when we find it, we will be at peace."

"And you're obsessed. Joker, do you understand what you're saying?"

"I do, but do you? Open your eyes, Bats. Your life is incomplete as mine. I can see it in your eyes. You want more and you have not been able to find it anywhere else. I don't even think you know where you're going. Do you even know what you want? Open your mind to the possibilities. I made you feel things, chum…a lot of things. Has anybody ever made you feel like that?"

"We are…"

"Enemies, opposites? Just like the North and South poles of a magnet. Two formidable opposites making up an even stronger whole. Wow…what a discovery." Joker let out putting a hand over his mouth in surprise. "Want me to go on?"

Batman shook his head and Joker smiled. Then Knight had realized that this Clown knew him better than he knew himself. The Jester walked slowly to the small window in the top of the basement wall and holding onto the bars, he pulled himself up until he was on the tip of his toes, and took a look at to the outside through the dirty window. There he was surprised by the glare of the early morning. He let go himself from the window and landed painfully on the floor. He was still feeling the painful remainders of the previous fight with the Knight.

Joker remained unmoving for a moment to let the pain in his legs and his body subsided when he felt a warm hand over his shoulder. He turned around, slightly startled by the unexpected touch when he saw the Knight beside him offering him support. The Jester smiled. This was a surprising event that he welcomed like an old friend. It was good to feel the gentle touch minimizing his pain.

"What are you looking at?" Batman inquired noticing the sparkle of the green eyes in the twilight of dawn.

"You touching me, and I'm not bleeding. That has to be a first…" Joker smiled softly.

"Jack…I don't want to hurt you anymore. Please let me offer you my help and together we can work to get you cured…" Batman noticed Joker frown.

"Cured…of what? Being in love? You'll never cure that, chum." The Jester's frown slowly melted into a sad melancholic look of loneliness. He let out a sigh and brushed the hand off his shoulder. "I just need some understanding, because it hurts to be all by yourself. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? There has to be more, much more than this game we play. And you don't get it, do you…? You will never get it."

The basement suddenly filled with the bright red and blue sparks from the outside. Joker looked absentmindedly at the small window on top of him.

"That's the police…let's go Joker, let me help you." The Knight said holding the Jester by his arm.

"They are not here for me. They are here for you."

"Jack, that makes no sense."

"When has the world made any sense? That's why you exist; to put logic inside this crazy world. You did it in mine and look where you've made me. The Carnival is here to crown its king," Joker responded with a childish laughter as he bowed at the Knight. "I am just the Jester, the court's fool. But I'll show my king what I can do, 'cause I'm a crafty Jester."

"Jack stop. You are not the Joker anymore. You said it yourself, you are a lot more."

"No more talking. Time to show the king what I can do. Then he will understand, he will care. If you love something set it free, if it returns to you it's yours to keep, if not…it never was. I'm yours. I will come back for you." The Jester looked into the icy blue eyes of the Batman and his smile widened. He leaned forward and joined his lips with the Knight's. He expected either a push or a slap at the unexpected intrusion, but instead he found no resistance to those red warm lips of the man in the cowl. That felt good. For a moment, Joker felt the time stop, and he could almost swear he could hear his heart in stereo, beating at the same rhythm as he explore the cavernous space with his tongue. He let go of the now parched lips and started walking backwards giggling. Batman just looked at him in bewilderment and the Jester couldn't hold an innocent chuckle.

"Tag…you're it." Joker disappeared into the shadows.

"Joker, don't do this. Come back." Batman said advancing towards a retreating Jester. "This is not a game."

"But we always play this game. You want me…" The Clown Prince said in a playful falsetto as he reached the wall that let go behind him to reveal a secret door. "Come and get me. Told you I'm not going back to the acrylic cage, but I will be back for you. You just need to trust me."

At that moment Joker disappeared into the wall and the Detective followed in pursuit. For an instant it seemed like Batman was going to catch up with the Clown when Joker made a turn into a tunnel and disappeared from view. He could still hear the Jester laugh, when Bruce turned at the tunnel entrance and advanced gingerly a few feet, but it was useless. Joker was out of sight and in this maze of tunnels the Jester had the advantage. The laughter finally stopped and all was silence. He was alone. He looked behind to see if he recognized the way he had entered the tunnel, but there was not enough light to distinguish any detail. He could search for hours while the Joker could be miles away. There had to be another way out of those tunnels.

Bruce let himself rest against the damp brick wall of the tunnel. He was tired, and he felt defeated, not by his enemy but by his own body. The days of privations, Scarecrow's gas and poor nutrition were finally taking its toll. The anger that had fueled him all these days was gone now, and it had taken his strength with it. Even if he wanted to go after the Jester, his body was screaming for a pause and some rest. He suddenly heard voices echoing in the tunnel, coming from the opposite side where the Jester had left. He followed the voices carefully until he found a few steps on the floor and a metal grill screwed to cover an opening on the wall. The metal looked old and rusted and the two screws securing the grill to the wall didn't look solidly embedded into the brick wall either.

Gathering whatever strength he had left on him he pulled on the grill which gave way with a metallic moan. He crawled on his knees along the opening and finally reached the end where the passage opened above to another metal grill. He knelt on the floor and pushed up on the grill that opened like a lid revealing a long dim hall. Behind him, two SWAT team officers in full gear, aimed AK-47s at him. Everything went dark around him as his legs turned to jelly.

"Batman?" The officer called, without an answer. "Commisioner I found him and we are going to need a doctor immediately."


	19. Breaking Molds

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's Note:** Hi guys. I know my absence has bee long, but many things has kept me away from the keyboard lately. My apologies, for the fans that I know have been waiting for another chapter. Thanks to those that have contacted me with their concerns about the status of the story. I can assure you all everything is back in track. I even have the wonderful news that a friend has joined the team to beta this story so hopefuly you will see less grammatical blunders, so let me see if this works. Because you all deserve it. Like always, feel free to leave me your feedback on the chapter, good or bad (I can take criticism as long as is constructive and well intentioned and flames are not criticism, but angry people with nothing else to do than spill poison around them.) Please, I LOVE hearing from you guys..._

_First, let me explain something. This story is different from what I normally write and it's not written to show two men having hot sex in a bed, but to have two men on opposite sides of the law realize that they have much more in common than they realize. Yes, there will be passion and sex, but there will also be other emotions. And emotions are important when we go in search of who we are. For this reason, I have taken some liberties with the characters and I know that might not go well with some hard core fans. Sorry, but for the sake of the story, I had to make changes and hopefully they will lead to an entertaining story. Just take advantage of the SUSPENSION of DISBELIEF and trust the story while you read it. It is not supposed to be part of continuity, or in any way become the ultimate portrayal of iconic characters like Joker or Batman. It's just a story, one in an ocean of many, created to entertain. so what are you waiting for? ENJOY IT!_

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and all related characters are property of DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be some scenes with mature language and situations, please be adviced._

_BETA: This chapter has been beautifully beta'ed by Vally I, the Awesome. Thanks for lending a hand, friend!_

**Chapter 19: Breaking the molds**

Pamela Isley sat at the glass breakfast table and filled her cereal bowl with skim milk as she eyed with interest the pages of the latest issue of Horticulturist Today. She was still fascinated with the new hydroponics techniques to cultivate the new century crops. It was really difficult for her to understand why people would like to plant crops in tubes rather than using the gifts of the land, Soil was a gift from Mother Nature, a…

PLAMPH!

Pamela got startled from her trend of thought by the Gotham Gazette that almost landed on top of her breakfast. She looked at the roof, hoping to find the one responsible for such a rude call of her attention only to find Harley beside her, biting her thumb anxiously and eyes that radiated great concern.

"Did you see that, Red?" Harley said as Pamela read the headline.

"So he decided to play with the city…what else is new Harl?" Ivy said taking a spoonful from her cereal.

"No! He really let the children go. Unharmed." The lady clown retorted seating beside Pamela at the breakfast table. "You know how many times we argued about it? He wanted to play with the children. I told him that it was not a good idea. He laughed at me and told me that if didn't work, he'd just kill them all. Then he does this."

"I don't know what he was thinking. He's your psycho boyfriend, not mine. You figure him out."

"That's why I tell you that there must be something wrong. He would have killed a dozen people by now, but it's been weeks since he made the headlines. And he sent a note of apology for the grief he caused. When has he ever apologized?"

Ivy choked on her orange juice. "He did what?"

She grabbed looked at the report in detail. A large picture of the children and another one of an unconscious half naked Batman on a gurney tended by paramedics beside an ambulance framed the report. He really had the Batman…why didn't he kill him? There was something really wrong with that picture.

"I downloaded the whole apology…read this." Harley said as she sat beside Ivy who took the printout with wide open eyes. "See what I'm telling you, Red? First he gives his .38J special away and then does this. He's gone bonkers."

"Harley, Joker was already bonkers when you met him," Ivy said still reading from the note that was filled with 'I'm sorrys' and "I wish things would've been different'. What was going on in that insane head of the Clown this time? She set the printout beside her. "I don't know, Harley. He could still be trying to be funny playing with the media. Why don't you call him and ask him?"

"I already tried." Harley responded resting her chin on the table with childish resentment. "His phone isn't even ringing. Just takes me directly to his voicemail and he hasn't called back. I'm worried."

"And what you want me to do…?"

Harley kept silence for a moment as she bit her lip and twirled a blonde curl. Pamela had a very good idea where this conversation was heading but refused to accept going there.

"I need to find him, Red. Make sure he's OK. This isn't right." Harley's blue eyes glinted as they filled with tears. Ivy's heart shriveled seeing the sadness in those blue puppy eyes. Harley bit her lower lip nervously. "But I can't do it alone. I need your help."

"Oh no, Harley…" She started to say pushing the newspaper and printout away from her.

"Please, please, pretty please! You know a lot more people than me," Harley squeaked kneeling beside her. "I just want to make sure he's ok…I promise. Nothing more, I swear."

Ivy took a slow sip from her orange juice and shook her head. Quinn put a tender hand over hers and all of a sudden Pamela was no longer hungry. "Harley…it's just that I think this is something you need to do on your own. You know that the Clown and I have never seen eye to eye and if I help you…"

Tears stared to flow down Harley's cheeks and Ivy could see those beautiful blue eyes filling with desperation. Pamela finally sighed. "OK. I'll help you."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"He's exhausted and severely undernourished. He needs to rest." Alfred whispered beside the master bed where Bruce seemed to sleep placidly. He poured some fresh water into a clean glass at the night table and after cleaning a little spill up headed towards the door.

"But Alfred, he hasn't said much since we got him home," Tim hushed as he followed Alfred closely. "I'm worried."

"He doesn't talk because he needs to sleep, Master Drake. His body has endured a lot and he needs time to heal. I'm sure he will be fine once he recovers."

"What you think the Joker did to him?"

Alfred sighed and shook his head. "I don't know, but I will wait for Master Bruce to tell us when he feels better. Now hush, hush. He needs some peace and quiet."

Alfred and Tim left shutting the door softly behind them. Silence…at last. Bruce's body was indeed exhausted, but his mind was still rushing at the speed of sound with memories and questions of what had happened in the last few weeks. He opened his eyes and looked around. There was an eerie glow in his room coming from the full moon outside the window that Alfred had tried unsuccessfully to cover with the curtains.

He sat at the edge of the bed and took a sip of the water on the night table as he stared at the clock. 1:45am. The events of the last few days all felt like had been a surreal dream. He remembered Tim explaining how Superman had used his sensitivity to Kryptonite to zone in his location and how the Birds helped on the search by land. He remembered the police, the paramedics and then the flash of photographers as he was carried to the ambulance while drifting in and out of consciousness. It was all so vivid in his memory.

Bruce ran a weary hand across his wild black mane. These events were all so disconcerting. The madman who tortured the Batman and then hinted to some sanity were one and the same. Could Joker really had a change of heart and feel remorse of his acts of violence. He could not picture the Jester regretting anything at all, but the Joker asked him to forgive him, because the remorse was eating him inside.

"No, he was playing you," he said to himself. "It's the Joker. You know he can't be trusted, he's unpredictable. And he is alone…in pain."

Bruce shook his head. His world has been turned inside out. How could he be sure of anything when he could not even be sure of his enemy's motives anymore? Moreover, was he so weak that a psychopath living in a world of chaos and madness knew more about him than he knew about himself? Was he really that dissimilar to the maniac or did they really belong to the same world: Two men who did not fit in the real world and were driven with an inner rage that threatened to consume their souls.

"How much different are we really, Joker?" Bruce asked to the darkness as if expecting the blackness to answer back. "You let your rage engulf you in its while I used it to focus my life to fight monsters like you. Am I really saner than you?"

Bruce rose from the bed and walked slowly to the window, pulling the curtains apart to let the full glow of the Moon illuminate the whole room with its cool shimmering radiance over his weary skin. It felt good. He was tired, not of the ordeal he went through with Joker, but for the emptiness of his life. There had to be more in life than Batman. The night had claimed the best of him, and he had the scars to prove it, but for the first time he realized that the real Bruce Wayne wilted and rotted in the darkness of the cave somewhere. He had lost his humanity just like Joker lost his sanity and all for the same forsaken anger.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It had taken a lot of asking around for the Joker's whereabouts. No one in the city had seen him in days. It was as if the earth had swallowed him whole, and that was quite unusual. With the help of one of Ivy's contacts they were able to discover there had been some activity in one of Joker's old warehouses by the banks of an affluent of the Aparo River. That looked like a promising breakthrough, and the sources were reliable.

It was past two in the morning when Harley and Ivy jumped at the opportunity of finding the elusive clown in the abandoned lot by the river. Within the lot was an old metal nave with offices on the top floor of an annex that had obviously being added later to the building. On the side of the annex, a spiral metal staircase led upstairs. They walked around and on the back of the building they found a large vehicle covered in a light dirty canvas like the ones used to make sails. Harley lifted the canvas and shone her flashlight on the vehicle: a purple Toyota FJ with dark imperial violet interior and on the dashboard a smiling Clown bobblehead. This was Joker's personal transport which confirmed that he was here alright. Harley picked one rock from the ground and cracked it open like an egg. Inside was a rusty key that she used to open the padlock in the side door of the nave.

"Why didn't we use the outside staircase, anyways? It would have been faster, no?" Pamela asked covering her nose with a hand as the strong stench of rotted wood from the old deck and other pungent aromas violated her nostrils.

"Electrified. We would have been roasted." Harley responded plainly.

"Go figure," Pam muttered behind her.

"I don't like this, Red." The door finally opened and both women walked in the dimmed interior of the warehouse. "Mistah J. likes to live in luxury, not this. This smells rotten…filthy."

The smell of stale and damp air hit them as they entered and they could hear the constant drip of water from the ceiling into tiny buckets throughout the main floor that was littered with old newspapers and scrap metal. Not too far away Harley heard a soft patting and after she shone her flashlight, she noticed a fat black rat scurrying across the main level. The animal, startled by the bright light, turned around and returned to the whole it had come from a few moments ago. A few feet away from the hole was a metal staircase duplicate from the one outside and Harley started up the stairs gently trying not to make a noise.

"You have that right. This place is in shambles. And that stench…YUCK! What is it he keeps here, chemicals? He better not spill any of this poison on the river or he's going to have to face me." She warned angrily as they reached the top of the stairs.

"He prefers poisoned gas, Red," Harley responded in a whisper as she got close to the annex access door. She held the door knob when a shot went through the thin metal wall and flew buzzing beside her ear. Ivy pulled back against the rail a few feet away from the door and pulled Harley with her.

"Great. It's either getting roasted or getting shot..." Ivy said when she noticed a bucket half filled with water beside her. More shots came from inside passing by too close for comfort and from within her clothes she retrieved two seeds that she tossed into the bucket. In a violent reaction the seeds sprouted into a gargantuan vine that grew as large as ten feet tall within a few seconds. "Bring me the guns sweethearts, let's balance this fight."

The vines grew larger and forced their way through the bullets holes on the wall, ripping through the metal into the annex when screams of sheer terror started coming from inside. The plants retreated carrying with them some automatics guns, one UZI and a wooden spatula. The door of the annex busted open and Punch, swinging a hatchet high above his head, growled angrily in search of the vines.

"Oh no, you don't," Poison said as she left her safe place by the rail to meet the large thug. She kicked him on the groin, forcing him to the ground and then gave him another kick on the face and the large henchman fell to the ground with his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He didn't move anymore.

"Red, NO!" Harley screamed when Lou appeared on the door frame swinging a baseball bat about him. Ivy missed the first swing and using the man's inertia, she pushed herself in front of the thug to give him a deep kiss on the lips. Lou let go of the bat and held tightly to Ivy. She kicked him on his shin and quickly pushed the large burly man off her.

"Marry me," Lou asked with a tender smile on his face as he hopped in one leg and showed some missing teeth in his grin. "Please."

"In your dreams, you big lug…" Ivy said returning to her friend still on the floor. With great tenderness the vines helped Harley on her feet. "You OK, dear?"

"I'm fine," Lou giggled. "You look lovely tonight Ivy and I'll do anything for you."

"I know you will, but I wasn't talking to you. And it's Ms. Isley to you, big ape," Pamela said with a grimace as she turned around to place a tender hand over her pet plant. Suddenly, the vine stiffened under her touch and swayed violently in its bucket. The foliage turned black and the plant wilted away thrashing painfully until it fell on the floor beside her in a mass of black goo. Beside the bucket she found a Joker playing card that must have been embedded on the vine before it died. Ivy heard a soft giggle behind her and when she turned she noticed the Joker standing by the door with his bleached hand covering his mouth as he tried to hold his laughter.

"I just don't have a green thumb anymore." The Clown Prince said with an innocent shrug and a wide mocking smile. "Everything keeps dying in my garden. Roses…tomatoes….killer vines."

"You murdering, plant-hater son of a—." Pamela growled as she lunged at the Harlequin of Hate, pushing him angrily into the annex as she held tightly to the thin white neck. Joker on the other hand, tried to get Isley's off him by pulling at her hair and face, digging deep with his nails into Pamela's rosy cheeks. Harley rushed in and tried her hardest to step between them to separate them, but they both held onto each other with a death's grip.

"Red, stop…please." Quinn cried as she tried wedging herself between the two. "Puddin', please, let go. This isn't helping."

In a desperate moment Harley thought the impossible, because there was only one thing she could do to stop these two from killing each other. She hit Pamela flatly on her nose with all her might, and without even looking behind, kicked the Joker in his groin. Both enemies let go of each other. Ivy had started to bleed from his nose and Joker fell on the floor holding the family jewels cupped in his hands.

"You crazy? What did you do that for?" Isley protested glaring at Quinn.

"You're so dead, Harley…" Joker said between huffs as he tried to regain his composure, running a hand along his disheveled green mane. Using a nearby chair, the Jester helped himself to stand.

"Sorry guys, but I didn't come here to see you two kill each other. And pumpkin…ya' didn't have to kill the little plant. It looked ferocious but it was harmless."

"Oh, I know," the Jester responded with a cackle. "But the look on your eco-friendly gal's face was worth a million bucks."

"YOU!" Ivy tried to lunge at the Clown again when Harley stopped her. "You're the reason I didn't want to come here."

"Then why ARE you here, may I inquire?" Joker asked. "This is private property, you know?"

"Because I asked her to." Harley explained. Joker just stared at her emotionlessly. "Pumpkin, I was worried. You haven't been behaving normally, no one has seen you for days, and I thought, I don't know, that there was something wrong."

"Nonsense. There's nothing wrong," Joker retorted with some obvious discomfort, shaking his head and waving a disdainful hand in front of him as he sat on the armchair beside him. Lou entered the annex carrying three flowering weeds he probably had rushed to pick up from the backyard. Joker could read the tension on Pamela's face. "I think you have an admirer, Pammy."

"Shut up!" Pamela barked and that made Joker smile. For a moment it seemed he had not smiled in a while.

"You sure you're OK?" Quinn said looking strangely at the Clown, with narrowed sky blue eyes. Pamela stood beside her in an effort to put a distance between her and Lou. "But the award ceremony, the Batman, the children…?"

"The ceremony got me the headlines, great PR." Joker said resting his hands on the back of his head. "The children annoyed me so I let them go. They're safe. Isn't that what you wanted after all?"

"That's the problem, Clown. With you, no one is ever safe." Pamela spat as she cleaned the small trickle of blood from her nose. "And you haven't killed anyone since the Mayor's meeting. What's with the change in MO?"

"None of your business. If I wanted a psychological analysis from a vegetable I would've talked to my garden salad at lunch, thank you very much."

"Mistah J.!" Harley protested

"HARLEY!" Joker yelled as he hunched over the chair when he noticed the look of terror in the young woman's face and he felt his heart skip a bit. He was losing his temper again, and it was always his temper that got the best of him. He took a deep breath before he went on. "Look, I appreciate you stopping by sweetheart, but I'm fine. I'm just…taking a sabbatical with the boys. Nothing's changed. Now go play with your lettuce somewhere else."

"Sweetheart?" Harley repeated several times as she was trying to taste the word. Joker had never called her a sweetheart before. "There is something really wrong with you. You're not calling me names."

"And this is no sabbatical either," Pamela stated standing by Harley. "You're hiding, like a frightened dog with your tail between your legs. I know you. You can't stay away from the spotlight for too long and you're not happy until you see people die."

"Are you calling me a coward?" Joker protested visibly annoyed by the mere insinuation. His tone was venomous. "Maybe it's time to pull out the weedwacker and show you how scared I am. You need some pruning, dear. Right there between your chin and your shoulders."

"I want to see you try," Pamela threw at him; the acid in her voice could melt lead. "You have an explanation for everything but the bat. Why didn't you kill the rodent? You had him, right? You bragged about it all over the news."

That was a slap to his face. He didn't know how to respond to that, after all he had had the Bat within his grasp, but he couldn't bring himself to harm his enemy. The Batman was not longer his enemy but the last connection with his humanity. He could not kill him, but how could he make them understand without looking like a fool. It was something that you had to feel rather than reason.

"Pumpkin…you OK?" Harley asked looking at him intently. It was then that he realized how strangely he must look to them. The concern in her eyes was genuine. He nodded silently as he fought to find an excuse for his behavior. An excuse they would be able to understand.

"You didn't answer the question," Isley prompted. "Are you scared of the Bat?"

"If I break my one and only toy…what am I gonna play with tomorrow?" He responded with a childish grin. Pamela narrowed her eyes, trying to scrutinize the Jester's eyes for the truth. Though it sounded like a typical answer for the murderous clown, the inflection didn't seem right. There was something else in here; something she couldn't quite figure out and truth be told, she didn't care. Whatever Joker wanted to believe in his insane brain was alright as long as neither Harley nor her got hurt.

"Riiiight!

"It's the honest truth, I swear!" Joker said with a childish insistence. "If not, let the Lettuce Queen here get hit by lighting." Pamela frowned.

"See Harley, he's OK. The same Joker we all learned to hate. I'm out of here before the lightning starts." Pam responded turning around to encounter Lou trying to catch her attention with an already opened bag of M&Ms. She tried to walk past him towards the exit when the thug offered her a worn hardcover book with old yellow pages. The art on the cover had almost disappeared, but there were remnants of what would have been hearts and roses. She made an effort to ignore the gift when she read the note on the upper corner of the cover which was still legible. She held onto the book and read: For the light of my life, from Mr. J.

"Lou, that book was not yours to give away…" Joker warned in a dangerous tone recognizing the book.

"But maybe we can lend it to her, Boss. She might like poetry. Do you like poetry, Ivy?" Lou said as politely as he could, but the clown just glared angrily at him. Ivy had started to sift through the pages, noticing the collection of poems with handwritten notes on the sides of each page.

"No, we can't. Now give it back, Pam."Joker protested as he walked over to remove the book from Ivy's hands. Before she would give it to him, she read the inscription in the inner cover. It was a love note to someone by the name of Jeannette, and signed by Jack, and the handwriting was…Joker's? She would recognize it anywhere.

"Hold on a sec," Ivy said trying to keep the book away from the Joker's grip. "Lou, please!"

"Yes, Ms. Ivy?" The thug said standing between Joker and Pamela. The clown tried pushing the thug out of his way unsuccessfully and as he tried to go around trying to snatch the book, she tossed the hardcover to Harley and faced the clown with a large triumphant smile.

"Keep your boss away from me, would you sweetie?" Lou extended a hand back and gently pushed the Jester away. Joker protested to Lou, who seemed divided between either complying with Ivy or obeying his boss. The Clown's temper was reaching its melting point.

"Pamela, that book does not belong to you. Give it back NOW!"

"But you wrote the dedication in that book. Maybe you want to tell us who Jeannette is? A new girlfriend, a friend with privileges? I'm sure Harley is dying to know."

The Jester exchanged looks between Ivy and Harley who seemed too anxious to hear the answer. This was going to be a wasted argument and a lie he would not be able to keep long. Joker sighed deeply.

"My wife. I gave her the book when I proposed to her." Joker said simply, staring right into the eyes of Poison Ivy without even blinking. Of all the answers she could have conceived the clown would use to explain this…this one was definitely not on the list. "Are you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"What wife?" Pamela repeated in an automatic monotone. "You had a wife…I mean…you REALLY had a wife? Or maybe you imagined you had one."

"She was real. Some things you don't forget no matter how insane you are." The Jester sighed. "But who cares now? That was a long time ago. Can I have that book back…please?" The plea sounded more like a growl.

"Jokey Pooh…you never spoke of her."

"That would be because she's dead as is the man who wrote the dedication. It's just an old book, Harley nothing more. A memory of another lifetime. Now if you excuse me I want it back so I can start packing. The shootout will soon bring pigs to the neighborhood…" Joker said extending his hand for the book.

"If it's not that important," Ivy inquired. "Why did you still have her book?"

"I just happen to like poetry. OK!" Joker growled. He immediately pulled his lips up and wide in a smile and tried to look unconcerned and blissful. "It soothes the-it makes me feel better…happy. There's nothing wrong with that. Now give me the book."

"Mistah J, I didn't know…I'm sorry."

The Jester finally exploded. "No, you didn't know. You never knew anything, because you never cared to ask. It's all you, you and you. Life is pink and smells like candy corn. Well, now YOU can go with your Veggie Tales reject and leave me alone. Some people are busy. I'm not in the mood to babysit clowns and their talking vegetables medleys tonight. So…SHOOOOO!"

Harley knitted her brow as her eyes filled with tears. She grabbed firmly onto the book and hurled it at the Jester who caught it painfully between his arms. She turned angrily and started to walk towards the door. "You're still a jerk. That's what I get for worrying about you. Oh, and let me remind you it's your narcissistic, self-centered, egotistical personality that's the problem here, not me."

"I know, I know…I'm a bundle of virtue, and you're aiming at sainthood. Now leave me alone, will ya?" He responded without much concern of what she had said. That was another slap to her face. "I have more important things to do."

"Ohhhh," Harley growled as her face turned beet red. Joker's smile became thin and tight as he turned away from her and faked cleaning the book's cover. "Let's go, Red, we have things to do too and I'm sorry I made you waste your time tonight."

Harley disappeared behind the exit door as Joker mocked her, and Ivy glared at the Jester. "Way to go, Clown."

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Isley," Joker piped gravely, holding tightly to the book. Pam stared at him strangely. "You're driving her away from me so you can move in. But don't worry. I don't mind. Maybe she's better with you than she'll ever be with me. "

"So you' are OK with that?"She was surprised by the Joker's discovery, but there was no reason to deny the heart.

"Why not? She deserves better. I have not corrupted her all the way you know? You can still mold her into your little snapdragon."

"I'm not forcing her, Joker." Pamela said. "But you've hurt her a lot and some can only take so much."

"I know and I'm really sor-. The Jester said hissing the rest of the sentence. "What can I do? I am who I am."

"What? You've never felt anything for anybody in your entire life. Are you now saying you're sorry for her?"

"Did I say that?" Joker responded with a forced smile. "I think you're getting tree sap stuck in your ears, maybe it's in your brain cells as well."

"No…you were going to say it when you stopped. I don't know what's going on but you're different." Pam said looking into the Jester's green eyes and discovering a hint of sadness deep behind those green orbs. This was most unexpected. "You didn't kill the Batman or the children because you couldn't, could you?

"What? That's absurd."

"Really? And are you not even a little jealous of me, moving into your girl?"

"No. She is better with you. At least you care for her. I—I don't. She's all yours."

"I don't know how or why, but you have developed feelings. The only way poetry would make any sense to you is if you had a soul, and feelings and I don't think you ever had either. Now you suddenly like poetry? "

"You hardly know anything about me so save your cheap psychoanalysis, Pam."

"No. You have developed feelings for other people…including the Batman. You now…care. What were you trying to prove with the apology, Clown? That you have a conscience?"

"I have no need to explain myself to you. Actually there is NOTHING to explain. It's the same old me." He protested, gesticulating angrily in front of him. "Always planning the biggest joke…the funniest punch line. Death with a smile."

"I know enough to tell, that you have started to feel compassion for your victims. That's what happened with Gordon's daughter, no? You couldn't kill her because you felt sorry for her. Is that the same reason you couldn't kill the Bat?

The Clown tightened the hold on his book. For the first time he felt naked, in front of a total stranger and that was a feeling he didn't welcome. He felt vulnerable, weak, and he was not weak. The Jester heard Ivy talk, but he didn't want to. He wanted for once to embrace his insanity, were there were no feelings, no regrets, no emotions… just pure joy while others suffered. He missed his little niche in the cosmic web of chaos, where he did as he pleased without the heavy weight of remorse. Yes, just…feel, do. Thinking is painful. Joker fumbled in his pocket and pulled a throwing knife and threw it at Poison Ivy, making her scream as the blade sliced her shoulder. She held her arm in pain as the small gash started to seep dark blood.

"Does it hurt? I hope it really did. Who knows, maybe it was also tainted in some of my venom and you'll end like your dead vine over there, or maybe I'll spare you tonight because I care for you. With me you never know." The Joker said in a grave tone. Lou started to advance towards him when one look of the Joker's angry eyes, forced him back into his place. "Go and wilt somewhere else or I will show you how much I care about you and believe me, Pamela, there are a thousand ways to peel a vine and I'm dying to try them all. Then you'll see the joke...and how deadly the punch line is. How different am I now to the Joker you know?"

Pamela knew Joker was not joking. If he wanted to kill her, the gash would have been l in a more vital place and loaded with the same toxin that killed her vine. She was still alive, but she had started to push buttons that were about to set the clown into a nuclear meltdown and that was a dangerous mood for the clown. She could not remember seeing him so angry. It was time to leave.

Holding her bleeding shoulder, she silently turned around and left the annex to join Harley who was probably waiting for her downstairs. Lou went after her only to stop by the door and look back at the glaring clown and even clouded by the effects of Poison Ivy's toxin, he knew that Joker would not tolerate the insubordination. The thug closed the door and stood attentively by the entrance awaiting the Jester's orders. Joker sighed sadly.

"You're the moon that illuminates my night,

the hand that pulls me out of the abyss.

Your eyes are the cloudless sky,

your lips are on mine are a summer breeze…"

The Jester lowered the book beside him and look sadly at his thug, still stupefied by Ivy's kiss. "The effect of her poison will pass, Lou, and then you'll forget her and be yourself once more. If only it was that easy to forget the one you love, but how to forget what defines you, eh? Now go help Punch pack. The pigs will come looking this way for the firecrackers you two started."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Alfred poured some hot coffee on the green cup in his tray. He swiftly toweled any excess brew that might have drip out and cleaned his hands. He the squeezed the last orange to make some delicious homemade juice. He put the glass with the juice on the tray, along with a covered dish with eggs and sausage and two pieces of toast when the phone rang in the kitchen.

The butler dried his hands and rushed to answer the phone. "Wayne residence, how may help you?"

"Hi Alfred, it's Vicky."

"Oh, good morning, Ms. Vale," Alfred said looking at the clock over the range. It was already mid morning, and he still had to finish the Master's breakfast. "What can I do for you?"

"How's Bruce."

"Taking everything one day at a time, Ms. Vale. I was about to get him breakfast."

"I'm so glad to hear that, I was really worried. You think I could come by today to see him?"

"I don't know, Ms. Vale, but I will let him know and have him give you a call this morning. I'm sure he will be very happy to hear from you." Alfred said trying to sound casual about it. Vicky had been trying to see Bruce Wayne ever since he had come back from his ordeal a week ago. Vale was bright enough to see the pattern in the Master's behavior.

"It's ok, Alfred. I understand. Talk to you later, OK?" She responded in a grave, sulky tone. She probably also knew she'd probably not get any calls from Bruce at all, so she didn't insist.

"That's fine, Alfred. I'll call later."

"As you wish, Ms. Vale. Have a good day."

Alfred placed the speaker back on the charger and grabbed the tray in his hands balancing it masterfully out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the master's room. He set the tray gently on a table by the bedroom and gently opened the door. Picking up the tray from the table he let himself into the room.

"Breakfast is ready, Master Bruce." The butler announced when he noticed the emptiness of the room. The bed was undone, the door to the balcony was wide open allowing a chilly wind cool the room and play gently with the long white curtains. Alfred set the tray over a nearby desk and closed the balcony doors. He then went to check the bathroom and confirmed it had not been used at all.

Alfred picked up the tray and looked through the large windows. The sun had started to creep above the tall spruces on the on the edge of the property. He knew of one other place in the house where Master Bruce would find refuge when the mansion became too large or overwhelming. It was the domain of the Bat.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker stretched on the back seat of the sedan as he was driven away from the storage unit by his two closest associates. He had been called a coward…The walking weed had some nerve. You should have slashed her throat Joker, now gardening could be a funny sport, he thought to himself producing a large smile. No. He needed to control his temper and his murderous outbursts. He had to if he was going to prove to HIM that he could change.

HIM. He was the reason he had not killed Ivy or beaten up Harley for her tone of voice at the hideout. And for what? Deep inside him, he felt the anger build, like a supervolcano only to be forced to extinguish it for the sake of someone who might not even care. Anger, his old friend. He was fighting against a force of nature he had always let loose and now he felt at odds and more alone than ever. He didn't like feeling this way and neither Ivy nor Harley would understand him. Even the two thugs on the front seat, with their small intellects were not able to grasp what he was trying to achieve.

Nobody would. He was on his own on this one. Joker sighed. Was it worth it to go through this? He would have preferred to have killed Ivy when he had a chance. Teach her not to mess with the wrong Clown. Feel the Joke instead of think of the things he did and the repercussions of his deeds. How could he live thinking in every waking moment of his existence? Murder didn't require thinking, it was an inspiration. The city was his canvas while the Joker was the masterful brushstroke that delivered the final punch line to the masses. All for a smile, and he always felt better when he smiled.

"Life is one big joke, and death still brings a smile to my face." The Jester finally said when Punch on the passenger seat turned around to look at him. "A comedian is not a comedian until he can make a fool of himself, and still laugh while dying…"

"You said something, Boss?"

The Jester snorted. "No, not really, but now that you mention it… I'm thirsty. I want to have the best piña colada in town. Who can offer me such a treat this late at night, hmmm?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Alfred arrived to the cave using the service entrance. Like he was expecting, Master Bruce sat at the main terminal at the bat-computer, and he was going over some files. The Butler carefully carried the breakfast tray in his hands until he reached the computer station. He set the tray by Bruce without having the millionaire notice his presence. He cleared his throat.

"Getting back into the old habits, Master Bruce?" The butler said in a friendly, paternal voice. "I'm afraid that your breakfast might be already cold."

Bruce didn't move his eyes from the monitor where a few pictures of Joker flashed through the screen. "Don't worry Alfred. I was just checking some old files to confirm some theories."

"The Joker is your main priority now, sir, but you can only face your foe if you have fueled your body with protein and carbohydrates."

Bruce turned to look at the butler. Alfred always worried about him the same way his father would have. He felt comfortable with a close friend looking after him.

"I know, Alfred. Thanks."

The butler spoke after a short pause to pour some coffee on a mug. "Ms. Vale called. She wants to visit and confirm you're having a satisfactory recovery."

"I…I'm still tired. I need some time. Maybe tomorrow."

"If you are so tired, I'm sure the Joker files could have waited too sir. It is a matter of priorities, I suppose."

Bruce smiled. "Touche."

"Good. I'm sure Ms. Vale would love to hear from you personally," Alfred said as he started to leave. "Enjoy your breakfast, Master Bruce."

As soon as Alfred disappeared through the service entrance to the cave, Bruce returned to the main screen in the computer. Scrolling in front of him was a twenty-year-old newspaper with a large picture of Boss Doyle and his entourage of associates. In the back of the group a tall thin man in a dark suit tried to hide his face from the camera using the brim of his hat. He seemed more concerned on remaining anonymous than proud of being seen with the most dangerous Mafiosi in town, but there was something familiar in the pale eyes of that man. Bruce tagged the reference material and then proceeded to close the newspaper and Joker files.

"Computer, open phone line. Dial: Vicky Vale."


	20. Understandings

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note:** Hey guys, it's me again with another chapter. I know I promised to write more often, but things were still slow here, and I had a truckload of things that demanded my attention. But now, I think I'm back for good. I feel the fresh air on my face, and the muses stiring between my synapses. I have a whole bunch of ideas for this story (changing my original plans for it once more, but I hope that it's worth all the efforts) as well as new ideas for new stories and tales. My fingers are itching over my keyboard and my neurons are in override, so lets see what happens here, shall we?_

_As always, PLEASE! Feel free to leave feedback for the chapters. It is that feedback that feeds the muses and if the muses are fed, they will inspire even harder. Really. I enjoy your reviews (good or bad) so please, talk to me and let me know what you think of the story. There is so much I can learn from you all..._

_One tiny note, there are some places where characters are thinking to themselves, and those separate and sometimes opposite thoughts are despicted in italics. Just wanted you all to know._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and all related characters are owned solely by DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS, even scenes of EXPLICIT SEX. PLEASE be warned._

_BETA: My beta is currently in a sabattical, but will joins us again soon. In the meantime, please bear with me and my grammar. Any friendly criticism will be greatly appreciated. THANKS_

**Chapter 20: Understandings**

The Iceberg Lounge.

Despite its name, the night club was one of the hottest places for the Gothamite socialite to gather on a Friday night for a good refreshing drink, some live music and if you knew who to ask, enough illicit entertainment to satisfy any taste. And it didn't matter if you were there for the music or the forbidden, Oswald Cobblepot would be on the winning side, collecting the profits of it all. That was right until the Batman disappeared. That fateful day, the city spun into chaos and business that depended on a large outpour of people, like the nightclub, suffered the consequences of the spiking criminal activity on the streets. People just got afraid of going into the streets at night and business was slow these days.

Cobblepot sat in his office, like he had been doing for the last two weeks since there was not much happening on the floor of the almost empty club. He was accompanied by a half full martini glass in front of him as he cleaned his monocle with a linen handkerchief and listened carefully to one of his investors over the phone.

"I don't know if I want to be involved in that project of yours, Marty," the Penguin said aloud to his speaker phone as he reclined comfortably on his leathery executive chair. He put his monocle over his left eye and reached over to pick the cigarette still smoking over the ashtray. "Batman or no Batman, it is dangerous business. I don't need the police making connections with the Iceberg Lounge. I usually want to stay invisible if you catch my meaning."

"But Mr. Cobblepot, this is an elite club and the offer in my opinion is more than generous," the man in the other sideof the phone said in a low scruffy voice. "The bat has not been seen in weeks and after hearing the rumors of what the clown did to him, I doubt he's gonna have the face to come back."

"HA! What you mean he's not back? The Bat is always back…tomorrow or next week. I'm not risking it."

"Pity 'cause you know who is here investing in this gold mine? Some friends of yours: Edward Nigma, Jonathan Crane, just to name a few. They've selected you among hundreds of candidates 'cause they thought you will understand the benefits of this alliance."

The line remained silent, a sign that the Penguin was really listening attentively. Marty when on for the kill. "Know what Cobblepot? I'm gonna give you a few days to think this over. Make your research and talk to your contacts. They'll all tell you that this is a win-win deal, a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Marty, stop sweetening the deal, I'll think it over and that's it." Cobblepot took a sip of his martini. "But if in the meantime you find anybody else crazy enough to invest that amount of money feel free to pass me."

"I see Mr. Cobblepot. We'll talk some later. I have other business to attend now."

"Me too and don't call again unless you have something that would REALLY catch my attention, OK?" The Penguin responded ending the call with his fist pounding the call button. He leaned over and stirred his martini. He thought of the offer he had just let go. It was tempting if indeed this city was defenseless, and people like Edward Nigma or Jonathan Crane were willing to invest. Specially, Eddie. He was not easy to fool when money was involved, but something told him it was not the right time. Penguin sighed. Still, it sounded so tempting…

Cobblepot was distracted from this train of thought by a knock on his office door.

"Come in." Penguin responded flicking the ash from his cigarette on the icy ashtray beside him. One of the bouncers of the bar came in and hurriedly walked over to the boss' desk. Cobblepot frowned. He wanted to spend some time with just himself and there seem to be no way he was going to get some peace tonight. "Hope this is important Howard, I left specific instructions about-."

"This will interest you sir," the bouncer said leaning over the desk to speak secretly at the Penguin's ears. Cobblepot's eyes opened wide with surprise as he smiled, holding tightly to his cigarette with his crooked teeth.

"When did he get here…? Is a blonde sitting with him? Blue vacant eyes…can't stop giggling?"

Howard shook his head. "He's with a big guy and he's scaring the staff. He just threatened to kill the bartender over a purple paper umbrella. You want me to get him out of the club, sir?"

"Not unless you wanna die on the spot. Let me handle him personally, Howard. He and I have an understanding. Just make sure we're not interrupted."

The bouncer nodded and headed back to the door, disappearing behind it in direction to the bar downstairs. Cobblepot looked at his reflection on the martini glass as he chuckled softly to himself and considered the possibility that fortune had already starting smiling on his side. He grabbed his glass, extinguished his cigarette and headed out of his office towards the bar.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bruce arranged carefully the cuffs of his jacket and dusted the suede shoulders gently. He needed to look his best for Vicky, only to reassure her that everything was back to normal. He could only imagine what was going on through the reporter's mind, now that it was quite obvious he had been ignoring her for the past week. Ms. Vale was very difficult to fool, especially when she knew Bruce probably as well as Alfred did.

The mansion felt deserted as Alfred had retired to his duties on the kitchen and Bruce welcomed the feeling since he really didn't feel like talking to anyone of the bat-family right now. He could read between their words and they were probably dying to find out what had happened to him through his captivity. He headed to the family room when a familiar voice coming from the studio, caught his attention.

"Bruce!" the voice called again when Wayne turned around to see Tim Drake waving from the desk at the library. The young man sat at the mahogany Old English style desk surrounded by what looked like a mountain of books and handouts. The millionaire waved back forcing a smile as he walked slowly to meet his friend.

"Thought everybody had left the house, but I see you have been punished with extra homework." Bruce interloped faking a mischievous smile. Tim sneered at him.

"Very funny, Bruce. It's my humanities finals: Romantic art and Literature. Could it get any more depressing?" Drake said as he meticulously searched on a pile of documents. Bruce smiled. "What about you, how're you doing?"

"I'm fine, but I still feel I could sleep for another week."

"I bet after what that Clown did to you. He probably tortured you day and night."

Bruce noted the intention of the comment. Drake wanted details of what had transpired with Joker and there was no need to reveal anything at the moment. "It got worse when I lost contact with the children. Didn't know if they were dead or alive."

"Why didn't you escape before, Bruce? You probably had a chance to do it more than once and turn the odds in your favor, right?"

Bruce made a pause to think his answer. He did have a chance to escape, and he blew it. And after the Jester's abuse and revelations, he chose to stay within the Clown's reach. There was no logical excuse to staying within the Joker's grip, other than the shameful thought that the Clown offered something that was impossible for him to refuse. He wasn't ready to talk about it yet, but he could hear that other voice in his head pleading him to tell the whole truth.

"You OK, Bruce?" Tim asked staring at his mentor who looked a million miles away.

"Yeah. The children. The Joker made it very difficult to escape without risking the children." _LIAR_! He thought as he fixed nervously the tie on his suit.

"That psychotic son of a bitch…endangering innocent children. Who knows what he did to those poor kids?"

"Luckily nothing permanent. The news said they were not mistreated and he promised me they will not be harmed." _As long as you stayed with him Bruce_, he thought to himself wishing he could tell it all. _Tell him the truth._

"The Joker promised you?" Tim raised an eyebrow. "And you believed him?"

"He kept his promise this time." _Why are you lying for the Joker, Bruce?_ "The children were unharmed, no?"

"What did he promised you in exchange? Because I can't believe the Joker would just do something out of the goodness of his heart."

Both men's conversation was interrupted by the butler clearing his throat to announce his presence. Bruce had never been happier to see his butler standing by the entrance of the library. It was like seeing the sun shine through the clouds after days of stormy weather and the conversation with Tim was heading into territory he wasn't ready to walk yet.

"Sorry to interrupt sirs, but Miss Vale has arrived." Alfred said stepping beside the library arched entrance to reveal the reporter standing behind him. Vicky wore a peach colored blazer on a white shirt stamped with very light flower print and all this over a pair of maroon dress leggins and short heeled sandals. The reported rushed past Alfred to embrace Bruce.

"God…I'm so glad to see you're ok. For a moment I thought that you were seriously hurt."

Bruce responded the embrace affectionately. "Sorry for scaring you, Vicky. I was just exhausted; needed some time on my own, away from everything." _There you go, Bruce, lying again._

"It must have been horrible." Vicky said caressing the strong squared chin. She finally tiptoed to press the man's lips gently with hers. "I can only imagine, love."

Bruce looked at both the butler and Tim who looked back at him intently. All of a sudden, he felt uncomfortable with all the attention on him. Vicky noticed the pair of eyes on her as well and her face blushed.

"Umm…sorry. How rude of me. How're you doing Tim?"

"Ahhh….fine. Studying for finals," Drake responded bashfully sifting through the pages of his textbook. "Damn Romantic poets."

"Oh, Romantic literature?" she stated with a spark of joy in her voice. "That was my favorite subject in college. So much passion and turmoil in those romantic souls. Hey if you want I can help you with the review later."

"Sure why not." Tim said with a smile as he lifted his textbook. "But first, I have to read a lot on Lord Byron."

"Would you like to have a walk through the gardens while we leave Tim to his literary quest? By the time we're back he'll be ready for the review. What you say, Vicky?" Bruce said folding her arm over his. She nodded as they both started to walk out of the library; she rested her head against his shoulder as they exited.

"I will have some refreshments ready by the main fountain," Alfred announced as he saw Bruce and Vale disappear together towards the gardens. He looked at the young hero who looked amused by the whole thing from his study corner. "Is there a problem, Master Tim?"

"I don't know yet…" Tim started to say when he felt uncomfortable with the thoughts rushing through his head. He was trying to imagine Bruce trusting a Joker's promise. That was on itself…absurd. "Depends on how fast I can cram all this poetry nonsense before the test."

Alfred raised an eyebrow and smiled almost imperceptibly. "Then I suggest you don't waste time and get back to your scholarly duties sir. I will come back with snacks to fuel your brain cells."

Tim smile. "Thanks Alfred. This is going to be a long and boring trip to Romanticism."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Penguin entered the Polar Starlight room, famous for the starry sky above that had been engineered to look exactly as the sky on the South Pole at any given time of the year. Normally the Starlight Room will be packed with people on a Friday night, but it was still early and right now he was expecting to see only one guest sitting at booth 13; the only guest who ever dared sitting in that booth. Nobody ever sat at that booth because they thought it was haunted by the couple this very same guest had killed when he found them at HIS favorite booth. The message was clear and no one ever dared sit in there again. Oswald looked around until he saw a thin tall man in a dark blue jacket and mane of dark wild hair sitting at the table and entertaining a piña colada decorated with a purple umbrella. In front of him sat a man, large as a mountain, wearing a striped polo and swirling a tall beer glass in silence.

"Hey, long time no see, Jay," Oswald let out with a cackle as he approached the man at the booth. "Where is your gal, or are you dating brawny men now?" Penguin busted in laughter that sounded more like the hoarse painful squawk of a dying seagull. The man in the polo shirt growled.

Jay didn't even lift his eyes to meet the Lounge's owner, but rather concentrated in his glass that he massaged it with the tip of his gloved right hand. "Lou, get rid of the fat puffin. I need some peace of mind tonight and I can't think with all that squawking."

The thug rose from his seat and advanced menacingly towards the Penguin.

"Woah! What's wrong with you? It was just a joke." Cobblepot raised his hands in protest as two men rushed into the Starlight room holding something within their jackets. One of them pulled a semi automatic gun and Lou stopped a few feet from Penguin as the Lounge's owner waved his men to stand still.

"Sorry, Oswald…HA, HA, HA." Jay said obviously forcing his guffaws. "You're funny as a doorknob. _Adios."_

"Boy, are we in a lousy mood tonight," Cobblepot said motioning his men to stay calm. "And you have never called me Oswald before. Hmmm, could you please tell your gorilla to chill?"

The man at booth 13 coughed. "Finish your drink, Lou…"

"Can we talk Jay?" Cobblepot prompted, glaring at the large thug that sat back down with his friend. "In private if you don't mind."

The thin man rubbed the excess froth from the rim of his tall glass with the tip of the paper umbrella and licked it off savoring it as if it was a rare delicacy. "Lou, all you can eat and drink at the bar, courtesy of Mr. Cobblepot. Go." The thug grabbed his glass and rushed out in direction of the bar located opposite of the Starlight room. Penguin's men followed leaving the two men alone in the room.

"Well…sure. You're welcome, Lou." Penguin squealed as he sat his martini glass on the table sat with some difficulty where Lou had been a moment ago. He huffed and puffed as he slid his large figure into the booth until he faced the man eye to eye. "Ok, Harley left you again, didn't she?"

Jay smiled subtly. "Yeah. She's turned into a vegan. No clown meat for her…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're having one of your crises tonight, or what?"

The Jester took a sip and looked strangely at his drink. "And I thought I was having a piña colada. That would explain the awful taste. I remember when this place offered delicious drinks…ages ago."

"Very funny Joker, but you should not let that blonde dictate your moods. Makes you look bad."

"Now, what is that supposed to mean?" Joker retorted angrily, staring at Cobblepot with angry green eyes reduced to fiery slits of hate. "Harley doesn't dictate my moods."

"Really? Then why is everybody talking about you? What you did to the Mayor, the letting children go unharmed," Cobblepot made a pause to clear his throat and wet his parched lips with a sip of his martini. "What you didn't do to the Batman…which raises the question. Why didn't you kill him?"

"Too easy, Pengy. Playing with the enemy is much more fun. Even an amoeba knows that."

"Well, people think you didn't have balls to finish a job…or maybe had one of your psychotic episodes that clouded your judgment. Now I understand, after seeing how Harley's tantrums have turn you into this mess-."

Joker slammed a fist on the table. "Stop bringing Harley to the conversation. She has nothing to do with my mood tonight. I'm just…tired." Cobblepot couldn't help to be taken aback by the answer.

"Well, I'll be darned. If it's not Harley, what's eating you?" The Jester did not respond. His eyes fixed on the water mark left by his drink that he started to use to draw on the smooth surface of the table. Cobblepot just drummed his stubby fingers anxiously. "Okay, not in the talking mood. Odd on someone known to never shut up, but anyways, you should care what others say, and I'm saying this as a friend," Penguin took another sip of his drink and took his monocle off to clean it with a napkin. "Everybody is saying that you lost your touch."

"And many others say I'm out of touch, Ozzie. That's the Joker's magic. Just ask my shrink." The Clown Prince said putting on one of his crazy faces and exploding in a childish giggle.

"You think this is funny? People are saying that you're all talk and no bite. Engulfed in your own madness, a shadow of the Joker everybody used to be terrified of. Doesn't that bother you?"

"People always talk." The Jester reprised as he drank his piña colada." Let them talk."

"You don't understand. If you look bad, no one is going to want to play with you."

"Ozzy, you know well I've never played well with others. EVERYBODY knows that." Joker swirled the tiny umbrella around the top of the glass. 'And since when do you care? It's not like we're friends or anything."

"OUCH!" Cobblepot responded putting a hand over his chest. "After all we've been together? That hurts, Jay. "

"No, you just have gas, and our 'times together' can be summarized simply with this: You've used me, I've used you and together we've used everybody else. That's the nature of the relationship. Now go and stick your nose up somebody else's ass. Another of your clients might need a colonoscopy tonight."

Cobblepot snorted angrily as he clenched his fists over the table. "Look, Clown, you had a beautiful opportunity to rid us of that flying son of a bitch and you blew it. Now everybody is saying that you suck and like it or not that reflects on us. You look bad, we look bad. Capice?"

"Mmmm…So this is all it wounds up to be. You're worried about your reputation." The Jester responded massaging the glass with his fingers in a rhythmic along its length. "And I would watch that tone with me my fat, featherless 'friend'."

"You really don't care what people think, do you?" Cobblepot retorted, lighting a cigarette. Jay shook his head silently. "And would you stop that? It looks like you're masturbating that glass. It's disgusting."

Joker snorted and stuck his tongue out with a grimace as kept stroking the glass with more insistence then licked the cold icy rim. Cobblepot grimaced and that made Joker smile. "I stopped caring a long time, Ozzie. I would like to, I don't know…try other things. Even the psychotic, murderous clown routine get's old." _Now that is hard to believe, _the Jester heard a familiar voice in his head say inside his head.

Penguin let out a loud cackle. "If I didn't know you, I would say you've recovered your sanity. Fat chance, but I can see something strange in your eyes."

"What, what do you see?" Joker retorted nervously. The voice spoke again in his head. _Snagged! Listen to the bird, Clown…_

"That you need something to challenge your intellect. You're a brilliant man Joker and this city, along with his bat, has become more of the same for you, hasn't it? You need a new game."

"You my frigid friend…are tripping in dry ice." Joker answered with a perverse smile_. _The voice spoke to him again and he tapped gently his forehead._ Yes, feeling the call again, Joker?_

"Aww, you can't lie to old Ozzie, Jay. I know you're just dying to kill something. That's the way you are." Cobblepot leaned over closer to the Jester and spoke with a soft whisper. "That's what this is all about, right? The different MO, the so called apology… You're planning on screwing this city big time, fuck them like they have never been fucked before so they will remember who the top Clown is. Please, tell me you are."

"The colorful language tells me you have not being laid in a while, eh Ozzie?" Joker said without lifting his gaze from the glass. A sinister smile peeked under the aquiline nose.

Penguin frowned. "Joker, seriously. You must be really sick if you're not planning on killing a few hundred people in a week. What happened to you?"

"I got the Clown flu, or maybe I'm just having the wrong psychosis. Just leave me and tend to your other guests. Don't you have to make inventory, do payroll…maybe die?" Joker spat back furiously as he felt the anger build inside him. Gee, had he become so predictable? All of a sudden the Jester was invaded by a vision: Oswald Cobblepot sprawled on the blood covered floor, open like the pig he was with half his innards hanging out and a beautiful grin in his face. Joker smiled wide. _Come on, Jay…let me back out. You know this is what you want. Let's play with the birdie…I promise to make a big mess._

Joker's face darkened and he lowered his gaze to the drink before him. He swirled the half full glass silently, as he felt shame of his own overactive imagination. Cobblepot tapped the table, but the Jester didn't react. The only thing he could focus on was on calming the voice in his head that was demanding him to kill something.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" Penguin finally said waving a hand in front of the Clown Prince's eyes.

Joker set the glass back down brusquely on the table and closed his eyes. "SHUT UP!"

"Excuse me?"

"What?" The Jester responded looking back at Cobblepot, his emerald eyes sparkling in the dim lighting of the room. "I mean…just shut up. I came here to have a piña colada, and instead I feel like back at the cage interrogated by one of those idiotic doctors. You know what I did to my last shrink, right?"

"Yes, and now you want to kill me too, don't you?" Cobblepot replied with satisfaction in his fat smiley face. Joker just stared. "That's it Joker. Bring back the Clown we all know. You're more than this lousy, unhappy man drinking his sorrows away in a bar."

"You want me to kill you? 'Cause you know, I'm always happy to help a friend in need." Joker smiled.

"Not really, but I want you to be you." Penguin said putting a hand over the Jester's shoulder.

"That's what I've been trying to do till you showed up." Joker spat out acidly pulling away from Penguin's hold. "Now back off; you're invading my happy space."

"Happy? I don't see anything happy about the man sitting in front of me, Joker. What has happened to you, my friend…who did this to you?"

Joker rolled his eyes and went back to his drink that he started to caress sensually again. He knew the answer to that question, but there was no need to share it with the world. He really wanted to rip the Penguin's throat for meddling in his private affairs, but he couldn't deny there was a hint of truth in those false pretensions of friendship.

Joker pushed his drink off the table, sending it to crash on the floor halfway across the room.

"That was an awful piña colada, Ozzie. Someone should kill your bartender for serving something so disgusting." The Jester made a pause and ran a hand down his black wild mane. He was keeping his anger out of check. "Here we go again…"

"Talking about murder? Yes," Oswald stated pushing himself against the booth with a sardonic smile. "Third person you said you wanted dead in less than an hour. That's more like the Joker I know. Why do you fight this?"

Joker sighed deeply. "Because there has to be more than this, lousy clown with no spark."

"This is really bad, really bad. Worse than I thought, my friend," Cobblepot stated putting his cigarette out in the ashtray. He pulled a tiny remote from his tux and pressed a button. The remote vibrated emitting a soft buzzing noise. "What about a job…to flex the old muscles. What you say, Jay?"

The Jester shook his head emphatically. "I'm not going to play games with you, any less join you in any of your illegal enterprises. I'm not in the mood. I'm on sabbatical."

"Who said that I'm playing any games? I'm offering you a chance to taste the world you seem to want to get away from, so you can be sure this is what you wanna do and you don't even have you show your face if you don't want to. And they say that exercise helps with the mood."

"Very thoughtful, but I don't need your help."

"No, you need a straitjacket, but since I don't have one here, what about investing in a new enterprise. Increase your investment profile. This one promises three times the initial investment."

"Oswald, I told you I'm not in the mood…"

"Come on…just hear me out because you can't pass this one out. I could have kept it for myself, but I know you can get a laugh or two from it, besides loads of cash." A short man in black and white attire and a small navy apron appeared at the entrance of the Starlight room carrying a small bottle of white zinfandel wine in his hand.

"Did you call, Mr. Cobblepot?"

"Bring another piña colada for my friend here, on the house. The best piña colada ever made at the Iceberg's Lounge and be sure you add a beautiful purple paper umbrella to the glass." Cobblepot turned to the Joker. "This one will make you smile again, Joker. I promise."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

By the time they arrived at the large fountain decorated with the life sized Neptune emerging from the waters and an entourage of nymphs and sea creatures, both Vicky and Bruce were laughing heartedly. They have talked about the weather, sports, the old college days, and even art and literature, but they have not spoken about the most important subject that brought them together in the first place. Vicky advanced a few paces and sat at the fountain in front of the large figure of Neptune with his trident.

"This is a beautiful fountain, Bruce…and huge." She said trying to look at the monumental fountain's details and exquisite selection of materials that varied from marble to brass to black polished stone and what looked like gold leaf details. She noted in a corner of the fountain a small table with an array of tea and pastries covered with an acrylic lid. _Alfred was always so thoughtful. Vicky pondered as she played in the water_ with her hand.

"My father had it built for my mom. She loved the large _fontanas _with mythological themes that she'd seen during her travels to Italy."

"That's very romantic," she responded turning towards him. "He must've loved her very much."

"Yes, he did." Bruce said solemnly as he walked over the table with the deserts. "You want some tea?"

"Sure," Vicky responded looking tenderly at the millionaire as he started to serve the tea. He looked healthy and recovered, but in those blue eyes she could read a weight that oppressed him from within. Something he was holding back even from his loved ones, and she knew his captivity must have been an ordeal. She also knew there was only one way to chase away the ghosts, and it was to speak their names. "Bruce…"

"Yes, Vicky?"

"When Joker had me hostage at the nurse's home…he sounded disturbed, and obsessed."

"You want sugar?" He responded absentmindedly changing the subject.

"Two cubes, thanks. You heard what I said?"

"You were telling me something about Joker." Bruce replied bringing her cup of tea in his hand.

"Yes, he was acting strangely. Not what I expected for a psycho like him."

"And what did he say?"

"That he needed to get your attention somehow, and he even asked me how to grab your attention, you know…romantically. He knew about us, Bruce. Does he know you are Batman?"

"That's absolutely impossible." Wayne responded picking his cup and saucer from the table.

Vicky was taken aback by the matter-of-factly way he handled the information and even bothered that she was not being taken seriously. She expected a more energetic reaction to the fact that she had just told Bruce the Jester had a crush on him.

"I don't know. You should have heard him. It was as he was in love with you or something. It was strange." Vicky sipped from her cup. "Did he tell you anything?"

The question hit him like a bullet. Vicky was a reporter that never played around with her questions. "He just…talked. A lot. But I don't even remember half of what he said. I was more worried about the children." _Here you go again…LIAR._

"Yes, the children," Vicky took a sip of her tea. "They were not harmed. Odd, don't you think?"

"He promised me that he would not harm the children." Bruce responded not realizing he might have fallen in the trap of a very clever reporter. The voice in his head reverberated loudly. _Aren't you missing something?_

"In exchange of what? Joker never offers anything for nothing."

_You can't fool this one, boy. _Bruce shrugged. "He just said that he would not harm the children." _Lying again Bruce…shame on you._

"That has never stopped you before. You would've escaped and put the psycho back in his cell where he belonged. That's what you do, not bend to the whims of a sociopath like Joker."

"Vicky, you're making it sound like I didn't want to escape and save the children." _She's seeing through your lies. What are you going to do now? _"He had them with him, at an undisclosed location. Was not sure what he was planning to do, but imagined him capable of anything. Needed time to devise a plan."

Vale set the cup beside her. "No…that's not what I meant, but it's that there is something else that you are not telling me that prevented you from getting out of his grasp. He tortured you, didn't he?"

"He…he drugged me." Bruce finally admitted as he put his tea away and closed his eyes. _Finally! Go on._

"Good God Bruce, what other horrible things did that monster do to you?" She said when he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Vick, he is a monster, but have we ever stopped to think why he is the way he is?" _No,no. Tell her the truth._

Vale looked at him strangely. "Where does that come from? He is a monster because he is out of his fucking mind, what else?"

"But what made him go crazy?" Bruce replied noticing that the look on Vicky's face turned even stranger. "Vicky, just think for a moment. We always catch him and lock him up, but maybe it's time we try to look and figure out what's wrong with him."

"And since when you turned psychiatrist? That's what Arkham's for."

Bruce shook his head. "No, Arkham is not helping. Joker has been psychotic for years, and I don't think that they have improved the psyche of any of their inmates. Harvey, Nigma, Szaz…It's not working. I would even say that the treatment is getting them worse."

"And you want to change the way they practice medicine at Arkham because…"

"Because that is the only way this violence is going to stop. I'm not going to be around forever, Vick. The nightmare will only stop when all the ghosts have been faced and conquered. We can't just contain evil, we have to transform it."

"And you think they have not tried to change Joker? Bruce, the first step to change is to want to change. The clown just plays games with his psychiatrists, telling them so many versions of his past that I think they stopped counting and at the first chance, he gets out of the hospital just to start a whole new cycle of chaos and murder. Don't you see it? He doesn't want to change."

"He never had a reason to change. But what if one day we could find a reason he would want to change?"

"The same day you and I take a little trip in a UFO to I don't know…Oz?" Vicky rose and walked towards the millionaire. She stopped just inches from him, with her arms folded over her chest. "Bruce, Joker is so out of touch with reality that he doesn't realize that what he does is wrong. For him is just a game, life means nothing for him and his only goal in life is to have fun at other people's expense. The Clown is not willing to trade his twisted version of fun for anything else."

"But he said, he was sorry…he wrote it on the note he sent to the newspaper. He has never done that before. Maybe, maybe he's calling for help this time."

"And you believed what he said. Bruce, you know him better than anyone. He's a pathological liar." Vicky frowned and walked back towards the crystalline waters of the fountain looking down at her own reflection. She sank her hands into the large fountain pool and splashed the water on her face rubbing angrily. The clear water of the fountain started took a very light tinge of red as the makeup in Vicky's face dripped down to reveal a ghostly white complexion and a large red macabre smile drawn on her face. Tears started to flow freely down her cheeks as she saw the reflection of her face on the now tinted waters.

"Vicky, what are you…?"

She turned angrily at him, trying to wipe the tears off her face. "This is how much Joker wants to change, Bruce. Look at me. That bastard tattooed a portrait of his own twisted face on mine, so I won't forget how close I was to being his next victim. Sadistic monster, and I don't even know if the doctors can fix it. Is that the same Joker you're advocating for now?" Vicky wiped her face on her blouse. "I can't believe you are saying this. After all that Joker has done to me…to Barbara. And have you forgotten what he did to Jason?"

"I didn't know how what he did to you was this…permanent-." Bruce stopped and backed off as he realized Vale was not going to be receptive to his experience. She had experienced the Jester's sadism first hand, why was he the only one that seemed to have seen the Joke's other side?

"Well?"

Bruce pursed his lips and closed his eyes as he lowered his face. There was no way of debating the point with Vicky, because deep enough he knew she was speaking the truth. In her eyes were the resentment and the hatred that too many people felt for the Clown Prince of Crime. There was no way to forgive the long list of atrocities that he had committed over the years, but in his memory reverberated the sorrow and the sadness of the clown's plea for love and understanding. Could all this be a canard…a big fat lie on the Jester's side?

"No, I have not forgotten…but I have forgiven."

"You what?"

"I know it's hard to understand, but I couldn't take the hatred or the anger anymore, Vicky. It was borrowing a hole inside. Batman's driven by justice, not a personal agenda. You know how many times I wished I could just kill the Joker, and end the pain he has caused?"

"He would have deserved it, Bruce. Every ounce of it."

"But it is not right to take justice in my own hands. That takes the focus from my goal. You said it yourself, Vicky. Joker is sick. He doesn't know that what he does is wrong. How can I hate him?"

"It's not hard, believe me. Just look at me. Tell that to the kid who saw her mother dead in the kitchen, murdered just for giggles. He's never going to stop killing people. Bruce, I know he's sick, but I also know he deserves punishment for his crimes. Just don't save him all the time and definitely don't make excuses for him. Let him get what he deserves, by his own hands."

"And what if…one day he came to you and asked you to forgive him?" _What're you trying to do, Bruce?_

"No you have lost your mind…why would he do that?"

"I don't know, just tell me. Would you ever forgive him?

"I will never believe him. He can't feel remorse." She responded emphatically. "His repentance is not real."

"I can't blame you for feeling like that." Bruce sighed. "But I have forgiven him and I now feel this lightness in my heart that I have not felt in years and I like how it feels. I had to let go, it was making me miss the fullness of my life."

"What did he do to you, Bruce? First, I thought he was in one of his psychoses and that he was somehow…in love with you, but now, I'm not so sure. What exactly did he do?"

"He…he asked me to understand him." _God…I can't believe you fell for it._

"I don't believe this. What is there to understand? That's he's crazy? Have him ask Arkham for help. That's what psychiatrists are for." Vicky turned around and walked away from him.

"Maybe he did, and nobody listened." He felt as if the ground between them sank, forming a large gap that promised to keep them far apart. He wanted to share with her what he had learned, and instead he was losing her. Vick turned around and held him in her arms.

"Oh Bruce, for God sake! What kind of lies did Joker fed you while you were drugged? You're stronger than this. Wake up, love. Please!" Vicky said holding his face between her hands. He closed his eyes and held to her.

"I'm free now. Free to return to my path…steady, focused." He responded as he looked straight into her sky blue eyes, glinting amongst the clown makeup. "We all have demons, Vicky. Some hurt more than others, some will make you go insane. I don't want to walk that path ever…a lot of people depend on me."

"You will never be like Joker…"

"But I'm letting my life fill with hatred and anger just like Joker did. I need to find myself again. Batman needs focus and Joker said-."

She held him by his shirt, then gently let go and set her hands gently on his chest. "Forget what he said. They were all lies…LIES, Bruce! Please love, can't you see it?"

Bruce sighed and let his shoulders down as he closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, I do."

"You don't sound too convinced, sweetheart. What else happened between Joker and you to make you think like this?" The voice in Bruce's head got louder…_What're you going to say now? Tell her the truth._

"Nothing. It was a long captivity and the drug he used must've affected me more than I thought. I'm sorry Vick. I didn't mean to-." He started to say when she put an index finger on her lips.

"I don't want to hear another word about this. This is not you, Bruce, this is Joker's drug still clouding your mind. You need rest, then you will see it clearly again. The path in front of you is not an easy one, but it will be revealed to you when you get over that damn drug." Bruce nodded as he listened to her. "And I will be there for you…all the way. You understand?"

"Yes. Thank you Vicky." Bruce responded embracing the reporter tenderly as he kissed her on her forehead. She returned the affection and set her face over his chest. His heart beat strong and steady, reassuring her in her sorrow. She wanted to remain there, in his hold, energizing the soul of her friend and one-time lover to recover his path and return to his mission with the same passion that had driven him before.


	21. Angel at the Gates of Hell

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's Note:** _After another few months of abscence, I come back to the writing realm. Tired and humbled. Sorry I had to go for so long, guys. I really didn't want to and I'm not trying to make excuses, but I had a crappy few months in a row. No AC at home, no AC in the car, no car for a while, very sick pet, crappy co-workers, crappy clients, well you get the point. It just drags. Then in the middle of all this unfortunate series of events I realize one thing. Writing makes the load a lot lighter. So I started writing, pushing hard one word at a time up the hill, even if I didnt feel like writing much, and a miracle happened. The Fairy Godmother of Muses hit me hard in the head with her hammer (yeah, and it's as big as Thor's, guys). And finally, my prose had a purpose. I think I got it back guys. Not only that...now I can't stop. No more crappy days, just the joy of sharing a little of me with perfect strangers, all for the love of the Clown. So getting the momentum running, here is another chapter for your enjoyment. _

_I still lack a Beta, so please feel free to point out where I have erred (politely, please) and if somebody wants to hop in and help, your assistance will be greatly appreciated. Betas always have a special place in a writer's heart._

_One last thing, watch for more stories coming. Now I can't stop the ball from running downhill..._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and all related characters belong only to DC COMICS. I don't get any money from this._

_DISCLAIMER 2: Some scences contain MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS, and sometimes GRAPHIC SEXUAL SITUATIONS will be depicted. Reader's discretion is adviced._

**Chapter 21: Angel at the Gates of Hell**

High above the roof top of the Gotham Gazette building, Robin stood on top of the large Atlas statue's head staring at the city underneath him. Everything seemed quite and safe, but he knew that could change in the blink of an eye, so was the nature of this city. A city as unpredictable as Bruce had become after the Joker's ordeal. He felt he didn't know the man anymore.

The wind blew hard on his face, the cold cutting through his exposed skin. He wrapped himself around with his cape, hoping the tough fabric was as good keeping the cold away as it was keeping off the bullets. This might be a long wait before he needed to get into action. Time he could use to think and there was a lot to think about. Tim felt a change in pitch of the wind, then a soft thud behind him. He extended his shaft and turned around ready for action, when he saw Dick kneeling over the building's AC unit.

"Hey relax, little bro…" Nightwing said jumping off the unit to meet Robin. "It's just me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Change of scenery. Bludhaven has been calm these past few days and thought I'd come back and visit. Have not heard from Bruce in a while and I see he's not in patrol with you tonight. Everything OK?"

"No." Robin said as he relaxed. With a swift pull, he wrapped the cape around him again and he returned to his post in heavy steps. He pulled a miniature notebook from his belt and started sifting through his pages. "Bruce has not being the same after the Joker incident."

"Really? That's not like Bruce."

"Tell me about it, Dick. I'm really concerned. Bruce has just not being the same, not talking much and keeping a lot to himself. He still has not said anything of what happened with Joker. I think that Clown did something to him, something real bad."

"There might not be much to tell, Tim. The Clown probably tried to torture him and the details are too gruesome to share." Nightwing shared as he sat on the ledge of the roof beside Robin. "I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to keep those to himself."

"No, this is more than that. He has not donned the suit in days, and I don't think he's interested at all in putting it back on. I think he's afraid of something, maybe Joker."

"Now wait, Tim. Batman is not afraid of anything and definitely not afraid of Joker." Nightwing said with determination. He knew for a fact that fear, was not a word in the Detective's vocabulary.

"Dick, are you going to tell me that Bruce will fall prisoner of the Clown and will not even try to escape more than once in three weeks? There's something really wrong with that picture."

"I know Bruce and he must've had his reasons. Have you thought that his stay assured the children's safety?"

Tim nodded. "Could be, but if Joker found a way to bring down the Batman this city is in trouble."

"The Clown defeat Batman? Don't make me laugh. Bruce just needs time to recover from what that psycho did to him, and he will be the same man we know." Nighwing stood beside his friend. "And don't forget, no one has heard of Joker for days either."

"But he's still out there." Tim sighed. "Probably getting ready for his next deadly show, because he knows the Batman will not face him. That's why we have to find that son of a bitch and put it back where he belongs. Whatever that maniac did, I will undo it. He'll pay for it."

"Is that why you're up here, hoping he will show up?"

"It's gonna happen sometime. Joker can't stop being Joker. He will show up, but in the meantime the rest of the city could use some cleaning. Crime doesn't stop."

"And the notebook? Clues on Joker's whereabouts?"

Tim smiled. "Have a Humanities test tomorrow. Just reviewing."

Far away, a rumble was heard followed by screaming and yelling. Someone called for help in the night. Tim put away the notebook and readied his grappler.

"Need a hand on this one?"

Tim smiled. "That's always welcomed, bro…thanks."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gordon was reading his report when he heard a rustle, and when he looked up he saw the dark silhouette of the Caped Crusader standing mere feet from his desk. The Commissioner looked at the open window on his office as he adjusted his glasses to look attentively at the nightly visitor. He wasn't able to contain a subtle smile under his moustache.

"I'm really glad to see you again." Gordon said simply as he set down the file he was reading and reclined on his chair. "The city has lost his mind."

"I know. It's time to let the city know Batman is back. Maybe that will help bring some sanity."

"Do you feel up to the task?" Gordon said leaning back on his chair. "What Joker did to you—"

"Has healed." Batman quickly prompted as he walked slowly towards the window. He stopped and looked outside with and tried to remain calmed. He couldn't let those old memories to get him out of focusing in his mission.

"You alright? You sound...I don't know... different."

Batman made a short pause and then glanced back at his old friend. "Nothing's changed. This is still my city and I will still look after her."

"I'm glad to hear that. You probably want an update. First of all, the governor had authorized the use of the National Guard to restore the order, so don't be surprised to see some military vehicles in the streets."

"Already found two on my way here. We will need all the hands we can get to keep the peace."

"Also the governor wants to set a curfew in the city and extend Marshall Law until the violence can be contained."

"A little dramatic at the moment, but that might prove to be a useful move too. Keeping the innocent off the streets will save lives."

"Yes, and you might also want to know that Fries and Crane were released from Arkham."

"Released?"

Gordon twiddled his pen over the table. "In a manner of speaking, yes. There was a revolt inside the Asylum and all hell broke loose, but security said they were able to contain it and locked everybody in their cells. When they ran a headcount, Victor and Jonathan were missing. It's obvious there was somebody helping them from inside. More inmates might be involved."

"Any idea of who might have helped them?"

"No, but we suspect it might be related to an escape from Blackgate two days before. Over a dozen prisoners were able to get out. We got some back, but half of the escaped prisoners are still lose. And guess what, all of them had worked for the Black Mask at one time or another."

"So did Fries for some time, but Black Mask is dead. Someone must be trying to reorganize the remnants of his empire amidst all this chaos."

"We're suspecting the same thing, but so far, we have not being able to get a breakthrough as to who is taking over Sionis' territory. Nobody is talking. The National Guard has posts set at both the Asylum and Blackgate in case someone else tries to check out."

"I will need-." Batman started to say when Gordon opened a drawer beside him and retrieved a large brown folder that he handed to the Knight.

"A copy of the file on the case," Gordon said as the Detective started to shift through the folder that was a summary of the case up to now. He looked up to meet the Commissioner's gaze, eyes glinting with a combination or relief and joy while a soft smile peeked from under his graying moustache."I knew you would. God…I'm so glad to see you back."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Barbara wheeled herself to the virtual screen on the wall. From there she accessed her friends' files and with the touch of a finger, she opened the Huntress icon.

"Yes, Oracle?"

"Anything to report tonight?"

"Not really. The night has been really calmed and those leads you had me check…The two guys I found did not work for Sionis. No one knew anything. Maybe we need to focus on Crane instead. He will be buying large quantities of raw material to make his fear gas and I'm nearby one of his hideouts."

"Yes, but Mr. Freeze will require some very specialized equipment to keep his cold suit operational. His purchases will be easier to track."

"Whichever. I just think that this thing on Blackgate's is not going to get us anywhere."

"I already asked some friends that know about cryogenics. They might tell me if anybody has been making some large purchases and maybe we'll have some more leads," Barbara said when she noted the Batcave's logo flash on the bottom of the screen. "I'll call you with an update. In the meantime keep your eyes open, that was old Black Mask territory."

"Sure, Oracle. Helena out."

Barbara inactivated Huntress' connection and opened the Batcave link. "Oracle here."

"Barbara, hope I'm not interrupting anything important." Batman answered on the other side of the line.

"Bruce? God, it has being ages. How you doing?" She responded as a window opened with the Detective's masked face as he sat on the batmobile. "And you're back to working, I see."

"Crime doesn't rest. I need a favor. Gordon updated me on the escapes from Blackgate and Arkham and I need to use your resources to find out who has been buying cryogenic equipment recently."

"Already working on it. The suit they had for Fries at Arkham has a very limited energy supply. He will need to make changes to it fast if he wants to keep cool."

"Exactly. Have you been able to find anything?"

"Not yet, but I'm asking around. Everybody is keeping a tight lid on the subject, but I'll keep you posted."

"Sure, I'll do a round nearby some of Fries' old hideouts in case he went back for supplies. Let me know as soon as you get something."

"Yes, Bruce. Take care."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The night was cold and silent, like a cemetery. Batman, stood on top of the large apartment building and felt the breeze nip at the skin under his mask. This was probably one of the coldest nights he had been in patrol or maybe he had just been too long hiding in the warmth of the mansion avoiding the dangers of the streets. The Detective was alone tonight, but he preferred it that way. He wasn't ready to share the load of work with Tim yet, not like this. He needed to feel useful once more. Many days have been wasted at the mansion, sulking in thoughts of self doubt that were not helping anybody, and he felt his senses had dulled under the prolonged inactivity. The city needed him and he needed the city as he needed to breathe. Searching on Fries' old hideouts will be a good start, and maybe they could lead to something more challenging than the scattered evidence that he and the police had to work with.

Batman heard a commotion not too far away from his location. He knew that the area was frequented by gangs and one of Victor's hideouts was nearby. Maybe he will get lucky tonight. He jumped the edge of the building extending the cape that allowed him to glide gently over three other buildings until he landed on top of an old abandoned parking building and scanned the ground below.

A dozen men from two rival gangs, the Patriots and the Wild Dogs were arguing in an alley when he got the glint of metal reflecting the lights from the street lights. This argument was about to turn deadly. He threw his batarang to the armed gang members effectively disarming them and jumped over the rail gliding silently to finally land in the middle of the altercation. Two of the Wild Dogs, armed with knives, tried to jump on him when in a swift exchange of jabs and kicks, the detective neutralized his attackers that were left moaning on the ground.

"It's Batman…RUUUUUN!" One of the Patriots yelled to his gang friends when everybody in the alley started a frenzied retreat. Every one of those men knew who the Batman was, but the warning came in late as Batman pulled two 'bolos' and tossed them at the feet of gang members trying to leave the scene. The two men hit the ground with their head making a cracking sound on the pavement and another two tripped over some old trash cans. One Wildog tried to sneak up on the Knight only to find his nose bleeding when the Detective turned an angry fist against him.

He got ready to hit the man and end it all, when another of the Wild Dogs crept behind him with a two by four. Batman didn't see it coming, but he got hit with a wood plank with enough strength made him lose his balance for a moment and four more Wild Dogs used the opportunity to change the tide of the fight by jumping on him. Batman felt a jolt of electricity at the base of his neck…a taser. And a powerful one to that effect that made him lose control of his muscles and the thugs forced him down on his knees. Though he didn't lose consciousness, the armor could not dissipate the full effect of the one hundred fifty thousand volts of the weapon. He felt drained of energy and had to do something fast or the gang member's advantage will prove lethal.

He then heard a loud crack, like thunder coming from behind him and one of the thugs screamed in pain as he hit the ground. Another _Wild Dog_ fell on his back when something black and very fast, hit him on the face. Batman tried to see around him, but he was still slightly dazed by the jolt and everything was happening too fast.

"Get her!" One of the Wild Dogs yelled, as two of the thugs on the Detective left to fight something on the shadowy corner of the alley. That was the edge he needed. With a growl Batman raised from the floor lifting with him the two reminder gang members. Finding strength deep inside him, he quickly exchanged punches with the thugs and quickly rendered them unconscious. The Detective turned around to see one of the Wild Dogs aiming a gun at him, when from the blackness of the night, a whip entangled itself around the thug's firing arm and pulled him down with enough force to dislocate an elbow. The Wild Dog screamed as he held his arm. Batman kicked him hard in his mid section and the man landed over bins on a nearby dumpster. The thug panted hard as he tried to get back on his feet when a dark figure pirouetted towards him and with both fists hammered the thug's head against the metal bin. The Wild Dog slid down with a groan and didn't move anymore.

"Take this, you piece of filth!" Bruce heard the figure say in angry voice. He recognized the timber of that voice. "You messed up with the wrong cat tonight."

"Catwoman." Bruce said walking over the figure in black leather. He could see her eyes through her goggles, when she turned aggressively towards him. Batman lifted both hands in front of him. "Hey, it's me."

Catwoman's muscles relaxed under the tight leather outfit. This man did not mean her harm. She brushed some dust off her costume and ran both hands sensually down her hips then walked slowly to a corner and retrieved her whip by gently rolling it around her arm.

"You shouldn't be out here if you can't play with the big leagues, handsome." She finally said. Her voice softer, and gentler than he could remember.

"I had everything under control."

"Sure you did, sweetie." Catwoman purred teasingly looking around as she walked over to one of the thugs that started to wake up and moan. With a swift kick she silenced the gang member. "If that's what you want to believe..."

"I said I had everything under-." Batman started to say when Catwoman walked over the Detective and slapped him. "Hey!"

"You could at least say '_thank you'_ after I saved your skin. Surely Mrs. Batman showed you some manners." She responded with a perverse smile and running a delicate finger along the Detective's chin before she started to walk among the unconscious gang members. "And do you have one of those plastic things to wrap their hands with? They are going to start waking up any time soon, you know?"

Bruce pulled a bundle of hand ties and shared them with her. Both started to tie the thugs together; the silence between them growing tense by the minute as they worked fast between the thugs.

"Thank you." The Batman finally said almost to a whisper when he was done with his ties.

"What? Did you say something?" Catwoman answered with a smile. The Batman sneered. "Don't mention it. Now tell me, what are you doing in the middle of this mess, when you are obviously out of shape? You could have gotten yourself killed."

"I'm in the middle of an investigation…"

"And you wanted to commit suicide while doing your job. Commendable, love."

"What?" Batman spat out as he finished tying the last of the gang members.

"It was a joke, dear," Catwoman said as she finished tying her last thug. She cleaned her hands on her uniform. "Now be a sweetheart and call your cop friends to pick up the trash, eh?"

Batman retrieved his communicator and gave the location and condition of the incident to the police department and they dispatched a few patrols to the alley. He then returned to the young beautiful woman that was now staring at him with the goggles on top of her head. Those beautiful blue-green eyes stared back at him tenderly.

"I …I might have underestimated them a little bit." The Detective responded dryly.

"A little? Oh God. Say, wouldn't you like to talk in a little more…private place? Let the best man win, shall we?" She said pointing to a roof not far from the scene of the brawl. Bruce looked up in the direction she had pointed and when he looked back at her, she had already disappeared from view. She'd always being quick, the best thief in the world and the sneakiest. Bruce fired a grappler to the building Catwoman had indicated and started to climb. On top of the roof, the feline femme fatale waited for him over the rail, staring at him amusingly.

"You didn't waste your time sneaking away." Bruce said jumping over the building's rail and onto the roof with a slight grunt. "Like always."

"And you're still huffing and puffing after the climb. Do you need me to pull the oxygen tank now?"

"That's not funny, Selina."

"Sorry, but it's just that I find it hard to believe you'll be out in the streets knowing you're not up to the task. I know you Bats, you're a perfectionist. And tonight…well, tonight was scary. What's going on, Bruce?"

"I just needed to get out and investigate some leads. And I thought I could handle a gang of thugs."

"I know you, dear. What's bothering your little detective head?" Selina walked over to the Knight and leaned over purring softly by the Batman's ear. "You can tell lovely Selina about it."

"Nothing." Bruce answered sharply as he walked away from her. "I just wanted to get back into action. I was…restless."

"But back into action without completely recovering your shape…."

"Selina please!"

"Ok, Ok. Jeez. You're in a lousy mood tonight." Catwoman responded pushing back the hood of her costume and running a hand over her short ebony hair.

"I just…I thought they would be more intelligent than to pick a fight with me."

"The Patriots were terrified and left the moment they saw you, but the Wild Dogs felt lucky tonight and went in for the kill."

"The Wild Dogs are not locals." Batman said looking in the distance as reds and blues flashed down the street. "And they are far from their territory. I wonder what might have brought them here..."

"An opportunity to expand, what else? We didn't have a Batman for a while and in they almost took you down tonight."

"I'm not an amateur, Selina," Batman sneered. "I've been doing this for a long time."

"Hey, calm down. I know you do, but what happened down there-Are you all right?" She moved closer to take a glimpse of the eyes behind the mask. Those usually told her much more than the man wearing them dared to share. The blue orbs glinted with anger, a fury that was brewing from deep inside.

"I'm fine. You don't understand. I have been defeated by my enemy, kept locked up in a cage for three weeks and I know I'm better than that. This city needs me."

Catwoman rolled her eyes. Suddenly everything was making sense. "Sooo…THAT'S what it is. You're a little upset that the clown overpowered you, and you needed to use all that stored testosterone in the alley, to prove you're up to the task. Bad choice, love, 'cause hormones don't let you think straight."

"Stop, Selina!" He barked. "I was careless with Joker. It was a very serious mistake that risked the life of innocent children. This city needs to be assured that I'm here, strong and vigilant, to guarantee her safety."

"I don't think they doubt your determination, sweetheart. I think it is you who needed to prove yourself you still have it."

"Nonsense." He barked angrily at her and looked away. He knew she was reading him like a book.

"The Clown won a round, so what? In the end, he will lose the fight. That is the way it always is. Sometimes WE ARE HUMAN…you know." She said smacking the Detectives forehead playfully as she started to walk away.

"It's a little more complicated than that." Bruce responded looking down to the alley where the police cars had started to arrive.

"Really? How complicated?" She purred as she walked over to meet the Detective. She looked into his eyes again in search of the key to what was troubling the Knight. The silence was a confirmation that something was not right. "You're keeping something."

"I'm not hiding anything and I have a lot of things to do. There have been escapes in Arkham and Blackgate I need to tend to." Batman turned around and walked over to the edge of the roof. From where he was standing, he could see that the police loading the thugs into vans. "And the Wild Dogs are still too far from home, I don't like that."

Catwoman walked over him and threw her arms around the broad armored chest. Even through the black protective covering of his costume she could feel his warmth, like a lifeline trying to hold onto her soul. Fond memories of the past inundated his brain, memories of joys long gone.

"Bruce, I worry about you. Why don't you want to open up? Go ahead, tell me what's bothering you," she said holding the Knight's face between her hands. "You can count on me for anything, you know that, right?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything you want to tell me, and I mean, really…anything?"

Batman looked into her dark almond shaped eyes that had softened and almost pleaded him to open up to the truth of his heart. The truth was that he was not ready. Batman didn't speak about his feelings and definitely not while in a case. Such was the lonely world of the Dark Knight. A world that he needed to accept no matter how empty and lonely it made him feel.

"You…you heard of Fries and Crane, right?"

Selina sighed. She expected to break through that barrier within the Detective and dig deep into what was really bothering him. Instead, he was back into the investigative mode and the wall between them just got reinforced. She was not going to get through to him now.

"Yes. Both escaped from Arkham a few days ago, but I've heard that was only half the job." She said pushing away from him. "They say out there that someone big is recruiting criminals and not just anybody. It's a club by invitation only, and some of Gotham's worst have already received an invitation."

"Do you know who is recruiting and who has received an invitation?"

Selina shook her head. "No one knows for sure. It's a very elite group a. I've been trying to find out myself, without much luck. Heard rumors that Cobblepot might have been invited, maybe even Dent, but the information is scarce and to a point…disturbing, because it's uniting former enemies and all this is happening in Black Mask's territory."

"Black mask is dead, Selina. This is someone new."

"I know he's dead. I was the one that put the bullet on his head, remember? It's just that someone trying to reconstruct his empire, just makes me feel like…like history is about to repeat itself." She said looking away into the distance. A cold breeze blew across the roof, and through her hair. She shivered, and held herself tight. The look on her face was the one of someone that had not been able to conquer all the demons of the past. She then smiled nervously." And I need to know why they're not considering me for the club. I can be a mean bitch, but at the same time…so sophisticated. Definite material for this club." She looked at him mischievously. "Don't you agree?"

"Of course." He smiled. "I was hoping Fries would need a new suit after his escape."

"And that he might have tried retrieving some pieces of equipment from his old hideouts. That's why you're here right, to check one of them?"

"Victor kept a makeshift laboratory at the old ice cream factory downtown. I could use a hand to check it out." Batman responded with a very small smile. This was more of a tease than a plea. "That way you can keep an eye on me."

Selina frowned. "I'm not your sidekick, Bruce."

"No, you're my friend."

Selina sighed, and vapor escaped her parted plump lips. She put her hood back on and secured her goggles over her eyes in and slowly walked to the roof's edge. "And we could've been so much more…pity."

The Knight approached her and held her tenderly to meet her eyes. God…he had forgotten how much he missed those aquamarine eyes. "Please, Selina. I can't afford to add anymore regrets to this costume. I need to get this city back, and I don't think I can do it alone. I trust you with my life. Do you want to help me?"

She caressed the black Knight's armor and looked into the sea blue eyes staring down at her with such a passion that she could feel herself drawn to them irresistibly. History was trying to catch up with her indeed. Tiptoeing slightly, she kissed him in the lips, and the warmth of his lips fed her hungry and lonely heart. For a moment she wondered why they couldn't be together like she knew their bodies yearned to be. The world was a strange place, and even stranger was this city of turmoil and madness, where lovers were forced to leave apart and evil always had a way to come together to cause pain.

"Sure I will, love. I want to know who is messing around in my city." She said crouching slightly as she got ready to leave.

"You're city…?"

"You forgot your history lessons, eh Bruce? Cats ruled the world beside pharaohs. I don't want to rule the world…but I will settle for a city with a bat for a champion."

"I think that is a compliment…no?"

Selina smiled. "Hmm, maybe. Let's go…the last one to get to the factory is a wet dog."

In a daring move, Catwoman threw herself off the roof disappearing into the darkness of the alley below. Batman smiled as he pulled his bat-grappler and fired the hook towards a nearby building. Using his inertia, he jumped and glided down to start the chase.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jonathan Crane's eyes opened wide and he looked at his watch on a shaky wrist. It was a little over two in the morning. He never had problems sleeping at night since he was a child, when the nights were plagued by scary nightmares, but the latest succession of events had left him paranoid about his current status of freedom. He didn't know who had arranged for his release from Arkham or why, and not knowing what he was in for, made him nervous. Fear, the very thing he wanted to be able to control his entire life by studying its effects in not so voluntary patients, was starting to gain on him and those fears would soon turn into nightmares…again.

Victor Fries, on the hand, had been good keeping his cool. It was maybe his cryogenic metabolism or knowledge he refused to share, but Mr. Freeze seemed to be a few steps ahead of him and he hated it. That added to the fact that he didn't trust the scientist one bit, especially when he had this creepy obsession with a dead woman which made Crane feel uncomfortable. He didn't want to share an apartment with the man and his wife's ghost. The other reason he was having a hard time sleeping tonight was the fact that Fries kept the apartment temperature constantly below 50 degrees. No matter how many comforters he threw over himself, Crane felt his body shivering uncontrollably from the cold.

Jonathan felt the urgency to use the bathroom, one of the many that had already interrupted his sleep cycle tonight and this cold wasn't going to allow him hold until the morning. He had to get up…in this temperature. The Doctor dreaded the thought as he jumped of the bed and headed to the door at a hasty pace, wrapped in a blue and gray comforter. He stopped in the hall and saw icicles formed along the hall, where the walls joined the ceiling. The carpet by the wall was wet and stained and the hall had a humid musky odor. He looked at the thermostat in the hall that had been opened and connected by frosty cables to a piece of equipment he didn't recognize on the floor.

Crane then saw the light on in Fries room. He frowned as the cold forced him to rush into the bathroom. After he relieved himself he walked back to the scientist's room, tightly wrapped in the comforter, and banged on the door. No answer. He tried the doorknob and noticed that the door was unlocked. With a slow twist, he opened the door and let himself in noticing Fries sitting at the edge of the bed and cables extending from his frigid suit to a myriad of electronic instruments as he checked several parameters in a computer monitor.

"Usually Dr. Crane, when someone does not respond to the door is either because they are not home or they don't want to be bothered." Fries said without even physically acknowledging the man at the door. "Make your pick and close the door behind you."

"If you didn't want to be bothered, you should have locked the door, popsicle." Crane responded as vapor escaped between his words. The temperature inside this room must be at least ten degrees lower than in the hall.

Fries sighed. "Charming as always, Jonathan. Insults are the resource of the desperate and those that have no real arguments or any real intelligence."

"Screw you and your philosophy class! I just came here to ask you to put that fucking thermostat in a more livable temperature…like I don't know… 75 degrees? You have ice forming on the ceiling and this is the third time I have to get out of bed to pee."

"I have no interest in your bodily functions, Crane, and you better not touch that thermostat or I will kill you. Do we have an understanding?"

"Don't threaten me, Fries, unless you wanna taste my latest fear concoction. Look at this," Crane said pointing to the vapor coming out of his nose. "I didn't ask to be your roommate, but the least you could do is have some consideration for those living under the same roof with you."

"But…I have," Fries retorted matter-of-factly, noticing the thin man resting against the door frame in his room shivering. "I could've made the room a lot cooler. I work better at temperatures reaching 0 and so far, I've been able to keep it around forty, for your convenience."

"Gee, thanks, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm about to pee ice cubes." Crane said as he tightened the comforter around him and reclined against the door. "Why do you need the apartment this cold, anyways?"

"So I can save the resources of this suit until I can find a more reliable and long lasting energy supply to keep it functional." Freeze responded as he calmly turned back to the large monitor beside him.

"Don't you have another suit hidden somewhere else you could use? This is ridiculous."

"I do, but at the request of our hosts, we should not reach any of our old hideouts for now. Didn't they ask you to do the same thing?"

"Yeah, yeah…and you seem OK with the idea, don't you? I personally don't like the idea of staying away from my hideouts. There is no place like home. Do you know who let us out of the Asylum?"

Fries turned towards the psychiatrist and stared at him amusingly. "Of course I know, Dr. Crane. You have not figured this out yet?"

"No…" Crane responded with a bewildered look in his face.

"For someone who claims to be an expert in human behavior, you disappoint me. It is so obvious…"

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Why should I when I'm enjoying standing ahead of your game. That just confirms how incompetent you are, and that is a sight I would not miss for the world."

"Jerk…" Crane retorted acidly.

"You'll meet him tomorrow, and then you'll ask yourself…'how could I have been so stupid', and then I will remind you that you were born stupid."

"I don't have to listen to you anymore, you egotistical, self centered ice cube," the psychiatrist said as he left the room slamming the door behind him.

Victor smiled as he returned to his work on the suit. "Good night, Dr. Crane. Hope you die in your sleep…painfully."


	22. Thin Ice

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note:** Thanks all of you for your patience, really. Sorry for the delay, folks, but this for me has been the hardest chapter to write in a long, long time. If I collected all the different versions I have written of this thing, I would have over one hundred pages. All because I wanted to add a little mystery to our story. After all, this can't be just Joker's story, right? I hope I was able to deliver something you will enjoy, and bring you back for more. For those of you wanting another Joker-Batman encounter...fear no more. One is coming soon. One with a lot of surprises. But I had to leave this headache chapter behind. Hope you all like itm though I admit it is a little long. As always let me know. Your reviews are always warmly received._

_Then there is the plain truth. I am still beta-less (puts on a sad face). I know this doesn't excuse the bad grammar but if anyone wishes to lend a hand as a beta, please feel free to let me know (or if you know of someone who would be interested). So feel free to help me with the grammar is you find something major. Thanks. _

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters belong solely to DC COMICS. I don't profit from this, guys._

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be instances of MATURE :ANGUAGE and SITUAIONS. Be adviced_

**Chapter 22: Thin Ice**

Fries hideout was located on the annex building of the Frosty's Gourmet ice cream factory, but little was left of the original makeshift laboratory the scientist had kept there. After Fries was defeated and sent to Arkham, the annex was transformed into the main management offices of Frosty's new ice cream empire when he bought the factory. Remnants of the old modified air condition unit that Fries had used to keep the annex at freezing temperature could still be seen running in segments along the ceiling painted in a slate blue and kept more for its aesthetic value than its functionality.

Batman checked his portable computer and confirmed the parameter of the dampers he had set in place to play around the place's security system. The readings were still within range and that meant that for the surveillance system, they were not there.

They arrived to the reception area. On the center of the room, a single black desk with a glass top welcomed visitors with a cold and almost impersonal presence. Around the curve space, sparse pieces of modern abstract art decorated the walls, complementing the area to its alien appeal. Past the reception desk, a small hall opened to another curved space where all the offices were located, each black door embedded in a wall of eggshell white and only differentiated from one another by the name plate on the top. Whoever designed this place, made sure every bit of architecture was a manifest rejection of human nature…Victor's motto.

Batman and Catwoman passed by the reception desk, through the hall and into the office area that was organized in a large round space centered by a ceiling high curio. Inside the curio, plaques and trophies celebrated several milestones in the company's history. They entered the main offices, examining each room meticulously. The cream colored floors blended with the walls, and the office furniture followed the same minimalistic pattern of the receiving area. Who could work in an alien environment like this, Batman wondered as they entered the production manager's office.

"Are you sure this was one of Victor's hideouts only a year ago?" Selina asked as she sat at a computer terminal and started typing on the keyboard. "Has undergone some changes since he used it, hasn't it?"

"After Fries was sent back to Arkham the city put it for sale and was bought by Sebastian Frost."Batman responded as he sifted through a group of files. "Frost wanted to give this building a brand new face, one where there was nothing left of Victor Fries for the city's memory, thus the extensive remodeling."

"But…what makes you think Victor Fries is still using this place as a hideout?"

"I've been following Frost along with the company's books and any time Victor has escaped, there had been a large amount of money moved in and out of the company's accounts and Frost seems to become unavailable every time Fries is in town. That's more than a coincidence, and makes me suspicious as to what links Fries and Frost together."

"But, besides their name, you have not been able to prove the connection…yet." She said successfully accessing the company's main files.

"Nothing a grand jury will find useful to indict Frost. No."

"Let's see if we can track what they did with this year's purchases, then." Catwoman announced. "Because I've discovered another big swap of cash about…two months ago. A quarter of a million dollars."

Batman leaned over Selina and peeked at the computer screen with surprise. "You already got into their mainframe?"

"You seem surprise, darling," Selina smiled as she ran through different windows. "Being the best thief in the world has its advantages."

"I forgot you ARE the best," Batman said with a smile. "Can you tie the cash with purchase of cryogenic equipment?"

"Not really, but I don't see justification for the swap either. It bypassed the main board of directors."

"According to economic market indicators, Frost's company was not doing too well on the last quarter and that is a lot of money to move without a justification to the board of directors."

Selina opened a window to the company's inventory. "There are no major purchases in those last two months either. Maybe they swapped the cash to cover for losses."

"Could be, but still the main board would have had to approve it. I think we need to take a closer look at their books. Can you access Frost's email from here? I want to see who he has been lately talking to."

"Always the suspicious type, eh lover boy?" Selina entered the email server. "And just for your information opening somebody else's e-mail is considered a federal crime."

"And that bothers you?"

"On the contrary, I find it very exciting," she responded, "and when I do it with you…I feel very naughty."

"You're having too much fun."

"Cats are playful by nature, dear. You're the one who needs to lighten up."

"I will, when I see Fries and Crane back in Arkham."

"And Joker," Selina added as she looked at him from the corner of her eye. There was a short pause.

"And Joker."

"All right, here we are and you were right. Mr. Frost has been trying to get investors from all over the world interested in his company. Poor Frosty…nobody wanted his vanilla ice cream." Selina's voice was one of defiant mockery.

"He was searching for cash, but at the same time moves close to a quarter of a million for undisclosed expenses. Somehow I don't think it was to cover losses," Batman said peering over Selina's folder. "Look at the last one on the page…the Snowman mediation plan?"

Selina opened the email. "This one must've made Frost happy. Someone was willing to merge with him and share his losses. It was sent a month ago and signed….oh God, no."

"Joseph Galindo." Batman knew that name only from reference. He was a realty broker, with shady connections and who knew him always said he would do anything for money. He had investigated him before and though he tried hard, any connections with him and the underworld had always been ephemeral and circumstantial. Batman once wondered if they were even real.

"Joe Galindo….Jose Galindo…Jose Galindez," Selina's demeanor changed and her voice turned into a hiss. "It doesn't matter how he calls himself he's to no good. He had dealings with Black Mask too."

"He is an unscrupulous broker and yes, he might have some dealings with the underworld, but he's difficult to tie just to Mask, Selina."

"I don't care. He deals with dirty money…blood money. At least we know what Frost is up to and it's nothing good."

"We'll have to dig a little bit deeper to tie Frost and Galindo to any illegal undoing," Batman explained. "No one has ever been able to successfully tie Galindo to any crime."

"Maybe we should try harder," Selina spat angrily as she hacked into the main company financial documents, "there has to be something here we could use to put that asshole behind bars."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The sun had just hid behind the Bateman Warehouse near Port Addams producing and explosion of oranges and purples behind the skyline that were slowly being eaten away by the thick mantle of the Gothamite night. As the last remnants of the sun disappeared under the horizon, a black Buick parked silently in the empty lot of the abandoned warehouse. Punch and Lou got off the car carrying a few Denny's and Cinnabon's bags with them. They walked up the large sliding door and after checking around them to make sure they were alone, they entered into the large nave. Immediately they walked up a metal staircase to the mezzanine where they had arranged a sofa and some chairs around an improvised coffee table made of milk crates and a large wood plank. Once in the comfort of their safe heaven, they set the bags of goodies on the coffee table and sat down on the worn blue sofa getting ready to eat when they heard the ear-piercing scream coming from the bathroom.

Both thugs stopped what they were doing to retrieve their weapons when they heard the bathroom door slam closed and something banging against it. Lou was the bravest one to start advancing down the hall towards the bathroom first, holding his .44 firmly in front of him. There were a few more bangs before the door opened violently. A bare-chested Joker in purple slacks and rainbow colored suspenders hanging from his waist sprinted out of the bathroom and started to walk aimlessly through the hall towards him, screaming something muffled by the purple towel that enveloped his whole head.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" The clown screamed to the top of his lungs as he tried hard to unsuccessfully remove the towel from his head. "IT'S TRYING TO EAT ME!"

Lou remained still, with his gun trembling in his hand and looking intermittently back to Punch on the living room as if waiting instructions. This was so unusual, but at the same time, this was Joker and the thug knew from experience that with the Clown Prince of Crime, anything could be possible. In his presence, the Clown had the incredible ability to quickly transform the most mundane things into the strangest, creepiest things in the whole world and right now, Lou couldn't recall seen anything as creepy as the purple clown-eating towel that was attacking his boss.

The thug advanced gingerly towards the squirming Jester, his .44 at head level. "Boss, what you want me to do…shoot it?"

"NO! YOU CRAZY? " Joker gasped for air. "It's the killer towel from space and it's hungry for some clown brain. Just…grab a corner and pull it off me." The green mane of hair on Joker's head was a mess of curls that went in all directions and his white porcelain skin started to take a purplish hue as the towel tighten wrapped tightly around his neck. "I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE, LOU….DO SOMETHING!"

Lou put his gun back in his holster and rushed to remove the brain-eating towel by holding tightly to the towels' edge. As Lou started to pull away, Joker grabbed the man's hand holding the towel and spun him around wrapping hand and towel around the thug's neck. The Jester busted in laughter as he held tight to the towel while Lou fought his grip. The Joker methodically tightened the towel around the thug's neck and held tightly when Lou started to get away between screams for help. Joker started to laugh again. Punch rose from the sofa, staring strangely at the whole scene with a hand firmly on the gun on his holster.

"Don't even think of interrupting the fun, Punch…" Joker warned as he tightened the towel around the thug's neck again. Lou went bonkers and the thug's frenzied fight over the towel threw him and the Clown Prince against the wall. Joker busted in laughter as Lou tried desperately to turn and reach the Jester's hand, but Joker kept the grip tight and steady at a safe distance and now between nervous giggles.

Lou fell to the ground in his knees, gasping for air with his face starting to turn a dark hue of purple when Joker finally let go of the towel and held onto the wall laughing hysterically. He laughed so hard that his white skin flared in a bright shade of pink. The thug fell on his hands and started to cough violently between gasps, while the color started to slowly return to his face.

"Oh that was good. YEEEEHAH! I felt like a rodeo clown," Joker laughed loud spinning a hand above his head like a lasso. "I can't believe you fell for it: Brain eating towels from Space. You're a treat, Lou."

"And you're crazy," the thug whispered softly as he pulled the towel off his head and glared at the laughing clown beside him. Joker just shrugged and smiled then looked at Punch who was still staring at them with his gun in his hand.

"What? Why so serious, guys? It was just a joke. Killer towel from Space…didn't you get it?" None of the thugs smiled even after he added the special effects of alien sounds. Lou finally rose from the floor and after tossing the towel angrily on the floor, walked with a wobble past Joker to the sofa in the living room stopping occasionally to catch his footing. He let himself hard on the cushioned sofa, coughed a few times and held his head between his hands. Joker walked over to his henchmen, combing his green wild curls with his hands.

"Last night was lousy, but today…the world is funny once more. Isn't that great?" Joker said putting on a green stripped shirt from over a nearby chair. None of the thugs said anything, and Lou wasn't even paying attention. Joker grimaced in disgust as he adjusted the shirt's cuffs over his wrists. "And you guys need to laugh some more, or maybe I just need to kill you all."

"But that was funny, Boss," Punch finally responded in an obvious effort to save his hide. Lou limited himself to glare furiously at his associate as he pulled one of the bags on the coffee table towards him. "Yeah, killer towel...ha, ha."

"Yeah, funny as that Letterman dude." Lou grunted.

"Letterman? Now I REALLY have to kill you!" Joker said with a loud chuckle. "That's the problem with young people like you these days…TV has dulled your sense of humor." Joker joined the two thugs on the living room. Again, nobody smiled with him, and nobody said a word. The tension could be smelt in the air. Joker rolled his eyes as he pointed to a solitary bag by the table's edge. "Dinner?"

"Six mini cinnamon rolls double icing and large chocolate milk. Just like you ordered." Punch said grabbing a tall brown bottle he offered Joker. "You sure that's all you wanted, boss?"

"Yes, because I have a happy sweet tooth…Time to feed the Clown." Joker clasped his hands under his chin and smiled wide. After grabbing his bag he wedged himself beside Lou who moved away with a grunt. The Jester pulled a roll of money from one of the pockets of his slacks and tossed it to the thug. "Here…for saving your boss from that freaky alien towel. That heroic achievement deserves a reward and you made me laugh, Lou."

The thug undid the roll made of tens of brand new hundred dollar bills. He was holding over two thousand dollars in his hands. Lou didn't know if he was supposed to react, so he just stared at the Clown Prince in bewilderment. "Boss…the towel wa-."

The Clown Prince pressed a thin bony finger against his lips.

"Not another word…who knows how many other alien towels are listening to this…it's a conspiracy from planet Boing, I tell you. BOING! BOING!" Joker responded bouncing on the sofa that gave way with a squeaky noise. He giggled during each bounce until he noticed the news paper on the table. He unfolded the paper to see a large picture of the Bat-signal glowing on the night sky covered the entire front page and his joyful bounce stopped.

**_THE BATSIGNAL GLOWS AGAIN…BATMAN RETURNS._**

Joker read the headline again and his smile became thin and strained as Punch and Lou noted that the air of the living room was getting heavier and cooler. The Jester had stopped bouncing and left his food on the coffee table as he opened the newspaper to silently read the details. Both thugs sat as far away from him as they could as they expected a murderous rampage at any moment.

"The cinnamon rolls will get cold." Punched dared to declare bravely from the end of the sofa.

Joker ignored the thug's advice as his eyes focused angrily on the black and white headline. "Batman returns…sounds like a movie title. The city got its Dark Knight back…my Dark knight. Because it was mine for a while you know?"

"You plan on getting him back then?" Lou said through a mouthful of sausage egg McMuffin. The thug's voice was still hoarse and raspy from the choking towel.

"In a way. If he was really mine, he will come back to me." Joker said folding the newspaper and tossing it on the table. He explored the paper bag in front of him and pulled a box of Minibons.

"You want him to come after us?" Punch said choking on his sandwich. "After what you did to him? You think it is a good idea, Boss?"

Joker dunked one of the Minibons in the icing. "Don't sweat it Punch. This is not going to be anything like the last time."

"Do you have another plan?"

"Do I really look like a man with a plan, Punch?" The Jester smiled searching around himself on the sofa. "I always improvise as I go. Any of you guys has my phone?"

Punch pulled a cell phone from his belt case. "We have not been able to get you another iPhone yet. Use mine instead."

Joker leaned and kissed the thug in the forehead as he took the phone. "Oh, aren't you the sweetheart." He pulled a business card from one of the pockets of his pants and dialed the number. "Ozzy? This is your favorite clown, puffin. Thought what you told me yesterday, and decided to join the game."

There was a short pause as Cobblepot rejoiced loudly over the speakers.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Listen, I'll wire you my part of the deal, but I need you to find me some info about this boys' club. Information is your specialty, no?" Penguin said something over unintelligibly over the phone. "I just need to make sure my money is well invested. Are they approved by the BBB… insured by the FDIC… or played in the NBA? IDK, you tell me. Just tell me ASAP and you'll make me happy, Pengy. TTL."

Joker hung up the phone and tossed it back to the Punch. "Well, the snowball is rolling. I'm gonna make my King proud…

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Selina slammed the keyboard and let out an angry growl. Removing her goggles, she pressed the bridge of her nose, resting her head on the palm of her left hand. Bruce took a moment before he put a hand over her shoulder that she quickly brushed off.

"Is everything all right?"

"There has to be a tie between Galindo, Frost and Fries. I just…can't find it here."

"Take it easy, these things take time."

"You don't understand. I want Galindo behind bars." She started to say, as if she was gathering enough forces to keep on talking. "He was working with Mask when my sister was driven insane. He got Mask the building where he …GOD!" Selina rushed a hand under her goggles to contain angry tears that had started to flow down.

"There is nothing more that I would want than to see justice done, Selina, but this might not have anything to do with your family. The main target here is linking Galindo to Fries…objectively."

She turned angrily at him, her opalescent aquamarine eyes glistening as tears continued to build up. "My family, Bruce."

"I know how it feels, but sometimes we have to put things aside and concentrate in our goals."

"Sometimes you're so cold…"

"I'm just practical. If we tie Galindo with Fries, he will spend some time behind bars, and we might have another lead as to who is releasing psychos into the streets, maybe even who's reorganizing Black's territory. We need to focus."

"There is nothing in this computer. They erased their footprints on the sand well."

"Let me make a copy of the drive," Batman said retrieving a small USB drive from his utility belt and inserting it on the port in front of the terminal. "Maybe it's not what's in there that's important, but what's not. I can check all the contents, included deleted files with help of the computer at the cave."

Selina smiled gently, but the sadness still watered her eyes. "That's another federal crime."

"And you're enjoying every minute of it, aren't you?"

Selina smiled but didn't say a thing as she looked out the glass window of the office where she saw the Bat-signal glowing brightly in the sky. "I think the city needs you, Bruce."

Batman turned to see the black and yellow symbol reflecting against the roof of clouds above the city. Something important must have happened for Gordon to light up the batsignal, and it couldn't have come at the most inopportune moment, when the investigation was starting to give leads on Fries' whereabouts and who was behind his release from Arkham. Still, he was bound to respond, it was his duty.

"We'll have to continue this at some other time," he said retrieving the drive from the computer. "You're coming?"

She rose from the chair and stretched. "Hmmm, I think I'll pass. Too much action for one night and I don't think Gordon would want me around. Just promise me that if you fight, you'll do better than at the alley, eh sweetheart?"

"Very funny," he said dryly as he got ready to leave the office. He looked at the readings on his portable. They were still invisible to the security cameras. "I'll analyze the data later tonight and see if it links Galindo to something more tangible. Let's go while we are still clear of the surveillance system."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Cobblepot was on the phone when the terrified chirp and screeching of his finches got his attention. He turned to see the reason of the noise when he saw a tall, slender figure in black standing by the small golden cage. The small waist and broad hips were a giveaway. The birds chirping became frantic as they stated to flap hysterically all over the cage.

"Can't you see you're frightening them?" He yelled at the figure while still on the phone. "No, I'm not talking to you. Look, I'll call you later. I got an unexpected beast to take care of. No, not him. We'll talk later." The birds kept chirping and Oswald lost his patience. "Get away from them, Catwoman!"

"Taking care of some last minute business, Ozzy?" She said approaching the large desk Cobblepot was sitting at. The birds calmed down the moment they were at a safe distance from her. "That's you, always working late…in some less than legal business I'm sure."

"What I do on my time is none of YOUR business," He responded going back to his phone. "I can't talk now, just make sure my customers will have some alcohol in their glasses tomorrow night while they listen to the music. It's what makes me money." Cobblepot hung up his phone, ran a hand along his sleek jet black thinning hair and adjusted his tie. "Well, I hope you didn't come here to just terrorize my birds."

"You're birds don't like being kept in a cage."

"My birds were very happy until you started eyeing them as dinner," Oswald snapped. "What do you want?"

"Something you seem to be good at. Information." She responded sitting comfortably at the desk's edge. "What do you know of Joe Galindo?"

"Realty broker, filthy rich and horrible manners. Am I missing anything my lovely kitten?" Cobblepot's subtleties made Catwoman's stomach churn making the bile burn against her heart. She'll need an antiacid after this meeting.

"The part where you tell me why is he trying to buy Frosty's ice cream factory, and to which low life gangster wannabe he's working for."

"Galindo has always worked for himself, dear. That's how he makes his fortune…as in not sharing with anybody still alive that is." Cobblepot said opening a small bottle of merlot that he poured into a frosted glass.

"I'm talking about clients, Oswald. Who is using Galindo to get the factory?" She purred with some mild exasperation on her voice. "Because I don't think Joe's going to start an ice cream business now, is he?"

"That information is expensive. You carry enough cash in that cat bag of yours?"Oswald said sipping his drink. "Hope more than what I had paid to get it. Not that it was anything useful, mind you."

"Hmmm," She smiled. "What about I let you in one piece so you can keep serving your costumers that cheap liquor you sell and anything else it is you supply them with?"

"You don't scare me."

She jumped over the desk to land over Oswald's lap and pressed her extended claws against Cobblepot's thick neck. The Penguin swallowed nervously as he felt the cold metal dig into his skin.

"Maybe I should scare you fatso, 'cause I could really cause some damage with these," she said with a dangerous hiss. "And I will eat your finches for desert."

"Since you put it so…nicely,maybe we can do business. Tip is on the house." Oswald piped with a slight tremor in his voice. "Unfortunately there is nothing worth saying about Galindo, even after all the cash I've poured to find out. He's doing his broking business…as usual…very sublty."

"I don't think so. Frosty's factory belonged to Fries, and you know that Fries is out of Arkham, no?"She said running one of her claws down the Penguin's round jaw and then down his gray jacket, pressing hard against the fabric to make sure Cobblepot would not forget she could rip his heart out in an instant.

"You…must be mistaken, Kitten. I don't think that Galindo would buy a hot property like that in the open. Too dangerous with certain rodent breathing on the back of his neck."

"Yes Galindo is playing his cards well, and you can be assured, the Bat is watching closely," she said knowing that the Dark Detective was not a subject Cobblepot was fond of addressing. He and the Bat had always collided head on, but lately, it had been the Detective the only thing keeping Oswald alive and well. The power Penguin once had over the underworld had fizzled out, and for many, he was nothing more than a stool pigeon for the Police. It was a matter of pride now, and the best he could do to get the Bat off his ass, was sharing information. "And he has his attention focused on you too, darling. You and Fries were friends..."

"Acquaintances, more like it," Penguin quickly corrected, "from a long time ago. Dangerous acquaintances now if you know what I mean."

"This is bigger than just Victor, Crane or you, isn't it?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about and could you please get off me, dear? This is highly improper behavior between a lady and a gentleman."

"Gentleman, don't make me laugh," She said as she pulled off him and reclined against the desk, facing Cobblepot. Penguin proceeded to arrange his attire. "I heard someone big is being sending invitations for a very private club of baddies and that you were on their list."

"Really, dear?" Cobblepot busted in laughter that sounded much like the squawking of marine seagulls. "Then why am I the last one to know?"

"So the rumors are not true?"

"No, but I wish they were, my dear. That will definitely boost my dwindled reputation because after the Bat saved my ass from Intergang, nobody takes me seriously anymore. You just made my day, Kitty. Thanks"

She looked at him intently as if trying to read the truth behind those black beady eyes of his. She could smell his fear, like any good predator could, but it was difficult to pinpoint if Penguin was afraid of believing Batman was on his case, or he was terrified of being caught in a lie.

"Nothing goes past you in this city, Oswald." She hissed as she started to walk behind Cobblepot, scratching the shoulder pads of his tuxedo with her claws. She could feel Penguin shiver under her touch. "Even if you didn't get an invitation, you must know who is sending them."

"Someone big, that's for sure. And filthy rich to slide all that cash for silence from underneath Gordon's moustache, not to mention the Bat too. I don't think he has a clue as who this rich mobster big wig is, does he? And this is expensive cashmere…if you break it, you're buying it." He responded brushing her claws off him. Selina slashed angrily at him, ripping the velvet lapel of his tux. A bead of sweat appeared beside the Penguin's monocle and slid down the side of his face.

"So you have no idea who's signing those paychecks?"

"Not yet and I don't know if I want to find out the rest. People I've asked say I shouldn't keep asking questions, because it will give me bad karma. You want any more proof than thosewho were willing to talk to me have suddenly and mysteriously...disappeared? Would you believe it? It looks more like a cult or a group of devil-worshipers than a criminal organization. There's no profit from me from a bunch of tomb robbers and warlocks."

"You can't be seriously thinking that. Tomb robbers…warlocks?"

"Oh, dear, I've heard it all. Black magic...curses...human sacrifice. I don't know if they're true, but personally, I don't care." He took another smoke and a sipped from his merlot. "I don't need anybody doing any voodoo on me or the Iceberg Lounge. Business is already the worst it has been in years. I'll need a miracle to survive this recession."

"You're not telling me the truth. You get in everybody's business, especially if it profits you."

Cobblepot took a deep drag. "You really think I will be making up this shit?"

"To cover your ass? Sure. That's what you do best."

"Listen up, Kitty," Oswald snapped, "I don't know who you think you are, but I'm telling you all I know. Maybe you should be out there asking other people that might know more than me, because I don't play in this game. Damn…." Penguin extinguished the cigarette forcefully on the crystal ashtray in his desk. "Nobody thinks I'm worth anything anymore. They probably even invited Dent, and that one is twice the creep. What happened to the old Oswald Chestfield Cobblepot everybody feared?"

"Went from the spotlight to work underground, like the rat he is." Cobblepot sneered at the Feline Fatale.

"That is low…even for you, Kitten."

"Right where it hurts the most." Selina stood and started to head out Cobblepot's office when she stopped in front of Penguin's desk and leaned over menacingly. "Oh, and you don't happen to know who is trying to reorganize Mask's gang, do you?'"

"No. Many have tried before, nobody has been able to hold that much power for too long."

"Probably Galindo knows, and when you see him, you will tell him I need to have a little chat with the bastard."

"I doubt that will happen anytime soon," Cobblepot responded as Selina growled. "But I will be pleased to relay your message."

"Ozzy, know you're not telling me everything, but if any more of my contacts mentions your name, I will be coming back. And Oswald, I would not be coming alone."

"Whatever. You, the Bat…I don't care. I'm not going to convince any of you so just…go away," Cobblepot rose from his large executive chair and looked at his watch. "I have a club to take care of, and people to entertain. That is the only thing I'm good for these days, entertain drunks. Now if you don't mind…"

Cobblepot walked over to the open balcony and signaled towards the city. "This is not over, Oswald."

"Of course it is. I don't know a thing about who's behind it, but I've heard they might have tried to reach Dent. Go and nag that asshole for a change, 'cause some people have to work to earn a living. Goodbye, Kitty. Go and tell your mouse that thanks to him, I'm a smudge in the underworld. And nobody cares of smudges."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The alarm at the computer terminal beeped, but Bruce quickly reset it for another hour, just like he had done for the last two. He looked at the screen. Ten minutes past three in the morning. This promised to be one of those long nights, but there was a lot in Frost's hard drive that he didn't want to wait till tomorrow to read. At least he knew where the quarter of a million dollars had gone…to one of Galindo's multiple European accounts, as part of the merging process. Keeping the money out of the states allowed Galindo to avoid explaining the IRS what the money was for. It was obvious that Frost's economical stability was gone, and he quickly needed a partner to which whom to share loses. Galindo's offer came as a God sent…or a well orchestrated plan.

Something didn't feel right. Then he noticed another transfer for two hundred thousand dollars from Frost's account to a different bank in Bahamas. If the deal with Galindo was going well, why did Frost keep trying to find partners for the merging and why was he transferring these large amounts of money? Four small icons appeared at the bottom of the main screen, flashing with a bright red glow. The touch of a key turned the icons green again as he looked back at the parking garage.

"You know that coming here unannounced could have cost you your life?"

"I still not see the lasers, ground missiles or nuclear warheads, Bruce…I think your surveillance system likes me." Catwoman purred as she emerged from the shadows of the bat-mobiles and bat-bikes parked under the main vault of the cave, a wide smile stretching her face.

"You're lucky I was here to deactivate them, Selina, but what would have happened if—."

"But you are here, because you can't let Frosty's mstery get away from you, right?" She responded as Bruce turned to return to his work at the main computer station. Selina resented his rude disinterest with a soft growl as she walked over to the main computer station. "How did it go with the Batsignal?"

"It was a shootout between White Shark and some of Dent's men."

"Warren hitting on Dent's turf? Not very intelligent knowing how powerful Two-Face has become."

"It looked more of a showing off than anything else. At least we now know who's been hiring the Wild Dogs in Gotham."

"Warren?" She asked followed by a long silence. She didn't need to tell that he had hit the nail on the head.

"And Dent seems to be working with the Patriots. That would explain the altercation in the alley before. Hopefully the police will be able to get some useful information after they interrogate some of the Wild Dogs that were arrested. I also told Gordon about Galindo. It's worth keeping an eye on him."

"Why would Warren try something like that? Harvey is not the type that sits back while he gets smacked on the face. Shark is no match for Two-face."

"I don't think he knows." Batman paused as he ran an analysis on another allocation of Frost's drive. "And it would have ended bad if Robin and Nightwing wouldn't have come to lend a hand."

"You don't seem too thrilled they did." She said somberly, noticing the dry tone on his voice.

"It just…didn't feel right. I know I have been keeping my distance from them, and they resent it." Bruce made a pause as he moved through some windows. "Working with them just felt…awkward."

"Maybe you really need to talk about what happened to you, Bruce. Get that out of your chest"

"No, I don't. The past is past and I have a lot of things that need my attention now."

"So that's it…you're just going to file your feelings and go on?"

"I'm not 'filing' anything. I'm focusing on a case. I will deal with this…later."

"Sometimes Bruce, you don't seem…human." She said gloomily resting against the computer terminal. He looked back at her, a glint of confusion glinting on his bright blue eyes. "That's scary."

"Of all people I thought you would understand how important this is to me."

"That's the problem, Bruce. Have you forgotten that you're also important to a whole bunch of other people, and we worry when you isolate yourself like this?"

"I'll be fine," he said icily, returning to the files on the screen. "I have dissected Frost's drive. He made a large transfer of money to Galindo shortly after that first email. Another two hundred grand."

Selina sighed. She was not going to change who Batman was. "Money laundering then?"

"Not so sure. It could also prove that Galindo is merging with Frost, and unfortunately that is not a crime." Bruce opened a file on Joe Galindo. "But there is more to this merging than it seems."

She leaned over the large black console and pulled off her goggles and cowl, messing her hair with a clawed glove. "I'm all ears."

"Even after starting negotiations with Galindo, Frost kept corresponding with several investors outside of Gotham. I don't understand why he needs more investors when he is already merging. And in a merger, I expected Galindo to put some cash forward for the buy. So far, Frost is the only one moving money."

"Unless what he's doing with Galindo is not a merger at all…"

"That's what I think, but I can't find any clue to confirm or deny that. Business seems…as usual for a merger except skipping the board, but that doesn't mean anything. It's Frost's company after all." Bruce stretched on his chair. "There are some attachments to documents that I need to restore before I go any further. They might have the clue we need and I need what else Galindo has been doing lately."

"Cobblepot doesn't know anything either, or so he claims."

"How do you know?"

"I had heard rumors that he had gotten one of those little invitations and I had to find out so I paid him a visit. Instead, Penguin seemed surprised people were even making rumors about him. You know he blames you for his almost insignificant role in Gotham's mob, right?"

Bruce nodded. "He resents not having the power he had enjoyed before, and most of all, he resents seeing Dent succeeding where he failed. And Oswald would not talk to you even if he knew, he will try to sell the information to the highest bidder."

"Oh, no. He told me what he knew. He has heard rumors that the group sending the invitations is some type of fraternity or cult involved in strange supernatural practices."

"Where is he getting that from?" Bruce looked at her taken aback by the revelation. "I think that Cobblepot was throwing you off."

"Me too, and that's why I left…my mark in the place. I'm watching that bird from up close." She came closer to Bruce and started massaging his broad shoulders. "You look like you need a massage."

"Selina, please…."

"Shhhh, let me work it out. You just relax," she said fighting the broad hand trying to brush her of his shoulders. "Would you believe that he was ordering liquor in the middle of the night? I don't know who he thinks he was fooling."

"Maybe we should try to find out what number he was really calling to…" Batman said opening a window to the Gotham Communication Agency and hacked into the call roster for the Iceberg Lounge. "Just to make sure."

"You REALLY like breaking the law, don't you?"

"Learned from the best, I guess…" He responded with a mischievous smile. "Feeling naughty, yet?"

"Ooooh, you really know how to turn on a woman…" She smiled back. "Meowrrrrr!"


	23. The Plan

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note:** Like I promised in my last chapter, I will try to post more often (once a month if I can, as long as my shedule permits). Also I want to keep this story moving steadily to the... ehem...interesting parts where the real developments will occur. Just a little more drama, and plot (which this story was lacking for a while) to spice things up. I hope you guys like where this story is going, and please remember that none of this characters is supposed to follow any continuity so please don't flame me if I made a few twists on some of the characters. I still will try to keep them as much in cannon as I can, but allow me a little creative freedom._

_I especially would like to thank all those that have set this story in their favs, its really an honor I hope I can continue deserving from you. I'll do my best to keep entertaining you all. Please, though favs are a wonderful, wonderful thing, hearing from you is like the cherry on top of my white chocolate sundae. Feel free to drop reviews with your comments and your constructive criticism. Like I have been doing lately...I apologize for my grammar, and I'm still searching for a Beta. Please PM me if you're interested._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters belong to DC COMICS and I don't get paid for this._

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS as well as some EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT and INNUENDO. Please be advised_

**Chapter 23: The Plan**

Cobblepot thought he would have to make up excuses for his delay when he entered the room huffing and puffing and noticed everybody calmly looking at him catching his breath against the door. Luckily for him, the meeting had not started, but most of the guests had seated scattered in small groups along a large mahogany table with pitchers of water and glasses already arranged for each. The looks quickly turned into frowns and Oswald felt a shiver down his spine. Fries and Crane sat at the farthest left corner, almost isolated from everybody else. Dent, who he had wished would not have come to the meeting, sat besides two other thugs he didn't recognized at the right end of the table.

"H-hope I'm not late." Penguin said between gasps as he faked a smile. Maybe running up the stairs after he missed the elevator had not been such a good idea. He was on the verge of a heart attack.

"And who let you in?" Crane protested as he looked around the table for support. "Don't tell me the fat bird is another one of our mysterious host's guests 'cause I'm gonna get sick. This was supposed to be an exclusive club."

"You sure you didn't get the wrong address tonight, Pengin?" Dent let out with obvious disgust in his voice as he shuffled his lucky coin between his fingers.

"Very funny, Dent. That means the other you should be the asshole, no?"

"Watch it Big Bird." Two-Face warned dangerously.

"You need to watch it, my friend. Somebody thought I deserved to be here because I make this group look classy," Cobblepot riposted back angrily. Crane snarled from his chair as he leaned over, ready to jump over to gut Penguin. Mr. Freeze held the psychiatrist's arm down. Oswald could almost hear the psychiatrist hiss at the cold grip of the scientist's armor.

"Don't waste your time, Crane" Fries roared from his seat, cold vapor escaping through valves in his black cold suit.

"Charming as always, Victor?" Penguin said taking a seat beside Marty Bertinelli, second cousin of Franco Bertinelli and the man responsible of the Penguin being here.

"Shut up, Oswald," Victor snarled with a frown. "I wasn't trying to be nice to you, just stating that like it or not, you are here. I hope our host realizes his mistake in time."

"The only mistake here is wearing a patched up cryosuit." Penguin sputtered under his breath.

"Watch your mouth, Cobblepot." Fries warned dangerously.

"Hey, don't you talk to my BFF like that, OK Popsicle?" A voice in a loud falsetto said from behind Mr. Freeze. Penguin saw the tall, white skinned man walk slowly and sporting a wide blood red smile on his face. A clown, dressed up in a green jacket over a black shirt and purple slacks. Around his neck, a red tie clashed with the orange and black- stripped vest fitting his thin frame. Only one person could shamelessly dress like that. Cobblepot's jaw dropped wide open at the familiar psychopath that walked into the room unconcerned of the angry looks at him.

"What is he doing here…did you invite him?" Bartinelli asked Penguin whose skin had turned as white as a ghost. "Oswald, are you listening to me?"

"What are you doing here clown? Another mistake from our host?" Dent spat slamming an angry fist on the table.

"Parties always have a clown show, Toofers. Didn't you have a childhood?" The newly arrived guest said in a childish, condescending tone. Dent growled as he slammed an angry fist over the table.

"This is not a party, Joker." Crane stated gloomily.

"That's right this is a sampling of the most dangerous criminals in Gotham City…best joke ever!" The Jester responded busting into a hysterical laughter that forced him lean over Fries acrylic helmet. He suddenly stopped laughing and stared intently at his reflection on the cold glass. "Oooh, a magic crystal ball. Tell me, how many ice cubes would Victor shove up his ass for a Klondike Bar?" Fries rose angrily from the table and grabbed the Joker by the neck pushing him forcefully against the wall. Joker started giggling as the grip tightened around his neck.

"I'm usually a very tolerant man, Joker, but this time I think you need to go."

"Go? But I haven't got any cake yet…" Fries hand tightened even more around the thin white neck and the Jester found it very hard to breathe. Even under this predicament, Joker giggled. Fries looked perplexed at the giggling clown who seemed to enjoy being in pain. The Jester's giggles quickly turned into a wet gurgle as he tried to laugh harder under the scientist's tightening grip.

"I didn't mean leaving the meeting…I meant leaving the world." Fries glared at Penguin. "And if you invited this thing here Cobblepot, you're next."

"Heh, and to think I had to pay my way into this meeting. (Gack!) I demand a refund!" Joker chuckled feebly.

Marty Barinelli held Cobblepot by his the lapel and turned him towards him. "What is he talking about Oswald…you let the clown in? This was a very exclusive meeting. Now you got me in trouble."

"But I have no idea why he is here. I swear." Penguin said nervously. The monocle fell off his face and Cobblepot caught it in midair replacing it over his left eye.

"Is this the way you repay my financial services, Pengy? Shame on you." Joker protested. Cobblepot pulled a handkerchief from his tux and wiped his brow. From the look on his face, he seemed to wish the earth would swallow him this very moment.

"That's it. You're dead Clown." Fries said aiming his ice gun at the Jester's face.

"Don't look, Popsicle. The joke's on you!" Joker said as a puff of smoke and sparkly dust blinded Victor for a moment. When he was able to see again, he noted that parts of his suit sparkled and busted in flames. Fries let go of the Clown and fought to put the small fires off by patting on the suit with his hands. All the other gangsters had started pulling their guns at the Jester.

"I always knew you were a hothead under that helmet, Fries," Joker said with the cackle as he pulled a thin whistle from his coat. As he blew the whistle a deafening loud high note forced everybody back. Cobblepot's monocle crumbled on his face and cracks appeared on Fries helmet while gaskets in his cryotanks exploded. Cold air started to escape Victor's suit and the scientist fell panting onto his knees.

"And now that I have your full attention, I want to announce…." Joker started to say when he heard a gunshot behind him. A whole troop of bodyguards entered the room, guns in hand and for among them, the Joker saw a familiar face. The ghost dressed tight in an ash color tailored suit and a blue tie with a skull pinned on it. The Clown's jaw dropped and then spread in a large smile. "…That this is getting interesting by the minute."

"I will advice everybody to put their guns down and start behaving like civilized people. This is a business meeting not a bar brawl," the man with the dark skull face said as he entered the room. Behind him, Poison Ivy entered in a tight green night gown and a golden vine necklace. The masked man extended a hand to the red head and guided her into the room. Joker cocked his head. It was impossible, but the man's voice was awfully familiar.

"YOU!" Crane let out as he looked at Fries who was moaning painfully on the floor. "You knew it was him, didn't you? But that can't be… the Black Mask is dead!"

"You took those words right out of my mouth, Spooky." Joker jested as he nodded at the red head with the masked man. "Would you mind introducing me to your boyfriend, Pam?"

"Be careful of what you say, Clown. I don't think you're in his guest's list tonight." Pamela said softly as she took her place at the table. The masked man's eyes narrowed on the Clown.

"So THIS IS your party," Joker said clapping effusively as he walked to meet the masked man, "Happy freaking…whatever it is you're celebrating, Blackie. It's been some time now since Selina offed you, right? Looking damn good for a dead man." The Jester gave him the thumbs up. Black just ignored the clown.

"Gabriel, could you please help Victor?" The masked man said to one of his men who rushed to the fallen scientist on the floor. "Take him to repair that suit. He's going to need some epoxy to cover those cracks before he heats up."

"Bozo is right. Black Mask is dead," Dent said putting his gun back inside his jacket. "Who the hell are you?"

"The man who is going to be making you all rich beyond your dreams. Now if you all take your seats, we can get this meeting started."

"Hold on a moment. We knew Roman Sionis WAS the Black Mask, but you—you have no name. I'm not making business with a no body. Who are you? How did you get hold of that mask?"

"The mask and I have become inseparable friends, Jonathan. And hasn't my voice given you a clue as to who I am?"

"You sound like Blackie Maskmaski alright, but you and I know that is impossible. Dead people don't organize business meetings in the middle of the night…unless this is a séance in which case, I left my Quija board at home."

"Let's just say that the news of my death have been…highly exaggerated." Mask said signaling two of his men to meet around the Clown. "And I don't recall sending you an invitation, Joker."

"Sure it didn't get lost in the mail? Because I know you would not have miss the greatest criminal mastermind in Gotham…MOI! And Blackie…I don't buy it. If you're here, who's renting your casket at the mausoleum?"

Mask growled annoyed at the interrogatory. "It's vacant and let me be clear with this, I didn't invite you here so unless you have an explanation that satisfies my curiosity, you're going to be the next tenant."

"It seems he came with the bird." Crane said. Everybody glared at Penguin. Now Cobblepot really wanted to disappear under the table. "That coffin is going to be a tight fit."

"Hey Mask, this was not my idea...I just-"

"The fat puffin is right. It was mine." Joker explained with an angry roll of his eyes. "Heard of you offering great business perks and I came to check. So you're promising three times the initial investment…even in this economy?"

"Did you let this Clown into the details, Cobblepot?" Mask warned Penguin, bypassing the clown as if he was not there. "You knew the rules."

"Excuse me? I was talking to the dead guy with the skull mask? Do not ignore me." Joker snapped.

"And I am waiting for the unfunny clown to give me a reason for not killing him." Black checked his pocket watch. "Time is running out Joker."

"You're gathering cash and talent for some undisclosed business venture and you can see I got both. Where do I sign?" Joker turned to the other gangsters. "The rest of you can go home now."

"Your ego overwhelms your genius and will be your undoing. What makes you think you belong here?"

"I have influential friends," Joker answered pulling envelope after envelope from the pockets of his suit. Each envelop was full of fresh hundred dollar bills that spilled out as the Jester tossed them over the table. A million of them."

"We don't need your money, Joker."

"What about a life insurance policy? Or you think the Big Bad Bat is not sniffing your behind right now? I can help you with the pest. You know I love dealing with bats."

"Last I heard you let one escape."

"Misleading journalism, probably the same reporter that covered your funeral. The Bat was fun to play with. Chewed up twice, spit out and never the same, I guarantee it. Like cheap gum."

"But why is he still alive?"

"Will you destroy this beautiful piece of fabric after you're done wearing it tonight?" Joker dusted Mask's suit and adjusted the lapels."No, I don't think so, because you might want to wear it later. Now you know why I didn't destroy the Bat, Blackie."

"Is that what the Batman is for you? A toy, nothing more?"

"Hmmm, a very dear toy…he tries to keep up with me, but he can't because sometimes even I can't even keep up with myself." Joker laughed. "Now, understand that a treasure hunt as big as yours is not going to unnoticed by the local Bat and you know I'm right. A Bat expert on your team guarantees you a rodent-free operation."

"And you know about the whole…operation"

"Of course I know. Isn't what you've always wanted. Power, money…a face transplant?" Black frowned.

"Don't let him confuse you, Black. He's just going to be a wildcard." Marty yelled from his chair.

"See…everybody knows Joker's are wild." Joker said with a giggle.

"And that's why nobody likes you." Dent said aloud. Everybody at the table laughed.

"And no one likes a Two-Face either, Harvey. Never forget that," Joker sneered as Dent pulled back his jacket showing off the holstered gun under his arm. This was a clear threat that Joker ignored with a smug shrug and an innocent smile.

"Everybody quiet down," Black demanded while leading Pamela to the table. He stopped in front the Jester and stared into his green eyes. "You're crazy, but have a valid point. I need to keep the Bat away for a while, before I am ready for him, and it looks like you want to play with the rodent a little more."

"Yes, yes, yes!" The Jester said jumping joyfully where he stood. "Play, play, play!"

"Yes, you have hurt the Bat the most. The closest to his heart. You've tasted his rage, his anger. You've made his soul bleed." Mask said as he walked over the Clown and brushed some dust off the Joker's jacket. Joker eyed him suspiciously when suddenly Black grabbed him by the tie and pulled him close to him. A hint smell of…sulfur made the Jester's nose twitch. "But they don't trust you…and I still have my doubts."

"Deliciously put." Joker smiled as he tenderly patted Mask's bony cheek. With great effort, he set himself free from the gangster's grip and adjusted his jacket. "OK, Let's see. What if I did offer my services…free of charge? And do us a favor Blackie…change that cologne you're using. It's rotten…"

"I can't believe you're seriously listening to that maniac Clown, Black!" Crane protested. Dent seconded him with a nod. "Look what he did to Victor. "

Black warned Jonathan to stay silent with a hand gesture while staring into the Clown's green orbs intently scrutinizing deep within the madness. A smirk showed at the edge of Sionis' mouth.

"And to clarify," Joker said eyeing the rogues evilly. "Victor had a suit malfunction. I didn't even touch him."

"Working for free…now that is one unusual business offer." Black responded.

"I'm an unusual business partner, Blackie. I am just here for the fun, and I know I'm gonna have a blast with you." Joker said showing his widest smile.

"Then show me you can work in a team. Sit down and don't say another word. If you can shut up for even five minutes there might be hope for you here."

"I can't believe it!" Barntinelli protested with a disgusted snort.

The Jester took a seat beside the Penguin elbowing Cobblepot heavily on the ribs and putting a look of 'I'm all business' as he set both hands over the table and leaned over to look attentively at the Black Mask. He ran a hand over his lips and at the corner of his mouth turned an imaginary key, then sat silently but fidgety on his chair. He wanted so bad to make a joke, just play a little prank on one of them, or simply annoy the whole team. God, he wanted so much to say something, but he stayed his ground, drumming his fingers on the table in what sounded like a mantric rhythm to keep his mind focused.

"You're making a mistake, Black…" Crane snapped. Joker glared at Scarecrow.

"I decide what's a mistake and what's not, doctor." Mask said to Crane. "You are not here for your beautiful faces, but because of your talents. Each one of you has a place in the new order to follow and instead of fighting each other, we should join our talents and…using Joker's words…put a great show for this city. Gotham does not belong only to me, gentlemen …it belong to us. It's ours for the taking."

"And since when we became so altruistic?" Cobblepot snapped glancing nervously at the clown and then back to Black. "You've always wanted the whole pie."

"A mistake that I intend to fix, Oswald. It has taken me some time to realize that we need to unite to face our enemy…the Batman. This city is big enough for all of us to get something profitable from it, but first we need to kill ourselves a flying pest. And I have a plan to do that."

"And how do we know that this is not one of your plans to get rid of the competition?" Harvey asked. "I already own half this city's criminal assets. Why would I want in with you?"

"Because you want more, Harvey, and you know it," Mask said with a wide evil smile. "And you need not to worry, Dent. If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be here."

"And how are we supposed to trust you when you don't let us even get near our hideouts."

"That was for your own security, Dr. Crane. They would have been the first places the police and the Bat would have searched for you. Instead, I have supplied for your every need."

"Still, this is more than even I can chew," Cobblepot said gnawing at his cigarette holder. "I'm talking to a dead man for God's sake! Do you realize how strange that is…?"

"Do I look dead to you, Cobblepot?" The Penguin shook his head nervously as he felt all the eyes on him.

Mask dismissed his men and once alone, pulled his Magnum and set it on the table. With a soft push, he sent the gun towards Cobblepot. Penguin stopped the gun before it hit him and saw the masked crime lord taking off his jacket. The gangster looked intently into Oswald's beady eyes.

"Maybe you wish to remedy that? I'm disarmed, and alone. You can do as you wish, and if you pull the trigger, I'll be dead before my men can come back. Since you can't keep a secret, let's see if you got what it takes to be here. Go ahead, Penguin, what is it going to be?" Mask said in a calmed voice with no hint of emotion of fear. Penguin let go of the gun and remained silent.

The Jester leaned to whisper by Oswald's ear. "Blackie has grown some _cojones _in the afterlife."

"JOKER, silence!" Masked warned as the clown sat straight back into his chair and ran a finger along his closed lips. "Well Cobblepot? It seems your cunning intellect is working. Believe me, you took the right decision."

Penguin nodded. "But the Bat and his menagerie of crime fighters are really close. Even Catwoman is inquiring about the meetings. We can't avoid them forever."

"We'll deal with them in due time, Cobblepot. In the meantime, worry not, for this fraternity will look after its own. Now, can you join us, Cobblepot and help me take over what is rightfully ours. This is our city after all." Black's voice was stern and commanding, but at the same time, his words were persuasive. Could he really be the link that could join Gotham's underworld and restore it to the power it once had, before the Bat came to be? He definitely sounded like he could do that and more. Penguin nodded silently, as he peeked at Joker who watched Black attentively with a wide perverse smile. He always enjoyed games and this power play seemed extremely amusing to the master of jokes. Suddenly, he yearned to play a part in this game as well…

"Good," Black said looking around the table to his guests. He extended his hands invitingly. "This circle is almost complete. We need to put the pieces of the puzzle together and each one of you will bring your talent to complete the pieces and make it whole. With the puzzle solved, the doors will open and the greatest treasure human eyes have seen will be yours for the taking."

"Ours, right?" Marty inquired. "Because you get your part too right, Sionis?"

"Of course, but the gold and riches are just trinkets compare with what lies behind the door. Pure raw power." Black smiled. "I didn't come back from the dead for anything less, my friends."

"That we are going to share." Scarecrow said added. "Fairly I hope."

Mask smile widened perversely. "Of course, Crane. We are all in this together…as one. And I have an interesting fun assignment for you, Joker. If you have what it takes, this is your moment to shine, to show us what you can do for us…"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Batman stood beside the massive gargoyle on the roof of the south façade of the Gotham National Museum of Art setting a gloved hand over the cold marbled statue as he looked into the screen or his portable scanner. In the tiny monitor, a small red light blinked producing a very slow blip every time. He oriented the scanner around him trying to hone the signal.

"I wonder what he's doing here at the museum. The building is closed to the public now." Selina purred approaching the tall caped figure of the detective.

"I'm thinking that the call he made when you arrived was a code for something he was planning to do tonight. There are a few exhibitions in the museum: two Spanish painters and a Lunar landing memorial collection of space art."

"Nothing that might attract that bird, unless the paintings are worth a few millions."

"A few thousand at the most and I don't see him blowing his good behavior with something like this, but I have no other explanation as to what he's doing here."

"Maybe he's meeting with someone in one of the museum's meeting halls. Did you find who he was talking to on the phone?"

"Non-disclosed numbers. Even the one he called after you left his office. According to the telephone company the lines shouldn't even exist."

"That sneaky little bastard," Selina said when she heard a sharp chirping from above. "And we're not alone."

Batman moved the scanner to the source of the noise. "Well, whatever it is seems to be originating the signal that we've been following."

They both walked stealthily behind the large skylight to find get a better location over the roof. On top of the glass domed skylight, Batman and Catwoman just saw a group of pigeons flapping away over the edge.

"Two pigeons and three finches." Batman said scanning the roof for the homing device Selina had implanted on Cobblepot. "And the signal comes from that direction. Cobblepot must be nearby."

"Wait…I know those birds." Selina responded sneaking a few more paces to get a better look at the small flock chirping and preening over the metal frame. "Those are Penguin's finches. And that black pigeon has something around his neck."

A small metal ball rolled silently towards the location of the birds and once there, expelled a misty vapor from a top nozzle. The birds stopped chirping and started falling to ground one by one. The finches were the first on the floor. Once all the birds were down, both crime fighters walked over and examined the animals. Batman picked up the pigeon and after a quick look at the collar, he showed the bird to Catwoman.

"Do you recognize this?"

"My homing device…damn it!" Selina slammed. "How did he know?"

"You said you didn't believe him and Cobblepot is not stupid. He knew you will be looking very closely to him. This is all been a goose chase. Penguin never got to the museum."

"Then what is he doing now?"

"Let's find out. I sent Nightwing over to the Iceberg Lounge." Batman tapped the communicator in his cowl. "Dick, any luck talking to Cobblepot?"

"I've been told he is not in the premises, but I didn't buy it." There was a small metallic clink audible through the communicator. "I just unlocked the door into his office and… it's empty. The bird flew away and I didn't get my Kamikaze either…"

"Look around for a clue as to where did he go. He normally doesn't leave the Lounge when it's open to business. Tending to his special guests personally is his trademark."

"I'm looking. Nothing out of the ordinary. Not even a single piece of paper out of place."

"He has a computer…"

"I'm logging in and I can tell you he was playing solitaire, but can't get into his email account or his books. Any ideas?"

"Make a copy of the drive and insert a worm. I can't risk you to be caught in his office in case Oswald comes back unexpectedly. This is going to take some time to work on and we can do it from the cave."

"What's the worm for?" Selina asked.

"It's going to allow me access to his computer drive remotely when he's off line."

"All right. I'm done. Damn…"

"What?"

"Someone's here…can't talk now." A short series of footsteps and a ruffle of papers made the background noise. No indication of a brawl indicated that Nightwing had not been detected yet, but the tension was enough to make Batman hold his breath. If only he was nearby the Lounge in case Dick needed him… Then the noise of a distant door closing. "That was close…"

"You ok?"

"Yeah, one of Penguin's bodyguards came in and left him a bunch of papers. Looks like wine and beer delivery invoices."

"Maybe that fat bird was arranging a delivery after all?" Selina shrugged.

"Which leaves us where we started…where is Penguin THIS late at night?"

"Uhm…Batman…I found something under the CPU." There was a short pause on the comm link. "A Joker card with a number scribbled on the back…53690887."

"Great, Penguin and the Clown working together. Just what we needed."

Batman paused, his thoughts distant for a moment in the words of the clown that had promised to change. It was not going to happen, he told himself. Joker will always be Joker. The detective could feel the piercing turquoise eyes of the feline fatale peering over him. "Nightwing, is there any clue as to what those numbers might mean in that office?"

"There is nothing more on the card, and I don't see anything on the desk."

"It's too long for a phone number…but it may be an account number of some kind." Batman responded dimly. His voice almost lost in the wind, as if he was speaking just to himself.

"Joker has a bank account? You must be kidding me. I always thought Joker would be the type to just hide the money under the mattress like a little pack rat."

"Joker's assets have to be more than money stashed under a bed, Selina. His shows are not cheap." Batman turned to his communicator. "Nightwing, see if you could sample the card stock. Maybe I can trace it to a printing company. Return to the cave and we'll take a look at Cobblepot's books to see what he's been up to."

"Sure, let me just check a few more things first."

"Be careful, don't get caught," the Detective responded when his communicator beeped. In his field of vision of his night goggles, he quickly ID the caller. "Yes, Commissioner?"

"Thought you'd be interested in knowing that Fries and Crane were not the only ones supposed to escape that night. Things went wrong and only two out of four inmates were able to leave."

"Do we know who the other two are?"

"Grimald "Stone" Plummet and Edward Nigma. Unfortunately, Plummet was found dead in his cell; from what seemed like a heart attack. Nigma had been sent to solitary earlier that day, at the very moment of the escape, his cell opened. We think he was part of the escape attempt.

"Maybe this is the break we need. Can we arrange a meeting with Nigma tonight? And I would like to get the autopsy report on Plummet. Something tells me this was not death by natural causes."

"I will increase the security around Nigma just in case."

"And we need to get a hold of Joe Galindo. I think he's a large player on this mystery, maybe working very close to Fries."

"I'll try to get a warrant for him tonight. See you at the Asylum." Gordon finally ended the call.

"You think Plummet's death was fowl play?" Selina cooed as she adjusted her uniform and secured her whip.

"Those two that didn't make it will be angry enough to talk more than they should. What would you do with loose ends…?


	24. Unwanted Surprises

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note:** Again, another chapter for you all. It's been a busy few weeks for me, preparing for the National Veterinary Conference here in FLA. So it's been long hours at work, but I've managed to squeeze another chapter of this story. I don't want anybody to say that I have abandoned this campaign, because there is more story to be told. If only the day had thirty hours...Anyways. This chapter has been written with lots of love for you all. Hope you enjoy it. Please, let me know what you think of it and feel free to show me my mistakes as I still lack a beta and though I have tried to be good at picking errors, some I will miss. Thank you for your support along the way in this journey._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters belong to DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: Some MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATION will occure as well as SEXUAL INNUENDO and LANGUAGE. Reader's discretion is ._

**CHAPTER 24: Unwanted Surprises**

Joker rested his chin over his gloved palm and giggled childishly while he entertained himself flicking the small paper balls he had lined in front of him. Every throw seemed funnier than the one before as his laughter became louder with each flick. Beside him sat Cobblepot, looking ahead pensively with his hands interlaced on the table as he impatiently stroke his thumbs together, while his mind seemed a long way from here. Pamela walked over to the table and leaned in front of them when Joker flicked one of the balls that fell down her cleavage.

"Three pointer!" Joker screamed raising both hands into the air and mimicking the noise of a crowd going wild. Ivy snorted in disgust as she picked the ball and tossed it away. Cobblepot ran a hand along his face in obvious exasperation.

"Thought you were on sabbatical." She finally said, adjusting her tight black dress over her bosom, and brushed her red mane from over her shoulders.

"It was a short sabbatical. You and Harley still…" he said as he stretched back in his chair.

"As if you cared," she said knitting her brow. Joker smiled mischievously. "Yes."

"And Harley knows you and Black…?"

"Joker," Ivy snapped before he could continue, "you're way out of your league here. You should go back to that filthy hole you call home and read some more poetry. You're soft, weak…and no longer one of us."

"Thanks Pam. I knew I could count on you to make me feel welcomed." Joker grumbled as he produced a playing card from thin air and used it to scrape the table surface. "Now go wilt in someone else's garden, precious."

Pamela looked at the table and noted the Jester had scraped the words U DIE clearly for her to see and she glared at him. "You don't scare me, Bozo. You're not even the shadow of the Clown you once were. What makes you think you can make the cut into the club?"

"The fact that I don't have to secrete anything into the air to be talented." The Jester said letting out a broad perverse smile and leaning forward on the table. "Don't insult me, Pam. By the way he was looking at you…Blackie McMaskie must be watering your pot daily. That must be what keeps you so…green, so succulent and very part of the team." Joker started to pant heavily.

"You're disgusting…" Ivy grimaced as she pushed away from the table.

"And you're annoying. Leave me alone." The Jester made a loud raspberry. "Oh, and don't let Harley know about Skeletor. She's not too fond of sharing. She learned it from me."

Ivy grimaced. "She's a lot better than you and I really hope they lock you up again…and lose the key this time."

"Thank you, Pammy. " Joker giggled. "Hey, when I return, maybe I can plant some tulips in your garden too. You seem to like threesomes."

Pamela huffed, turned on her heels and walked away, leaving the Jester and Penguin to themselves. Joker returned to scraping the table with the card in his hand, adding a smiley face underneath his carved phrase.

"What was that all about?"

"A fat and resentful Brussels sprout. None of your concern, Pengy."

"That Brussels sprout is going to wrap a vine tight around your neck when you least expect it. It's not a good idea to have her as an enemy, especially as close as she seems to be to Black."

"She's not an enemy, she's a vegetable." Joker giggled as he prepared more paper balls. "Hmm…and I'm hungry now."

"And you are out of your fucking mind." Cobblepot said as the Clown glared at him. "I know, I am stating the obvious, but why are you here anyways? You almost screw up everything and had me killed in the process. I still don't know why I do business with you."

"Because I got the cash you are afraid to risk. And to think the only thing I wanted you to do for me was get me the name of our employer, but instead…you ignored me." The Jester started to flick paper balls again.

"Nobody told me Sionis was alive or leading this club. You have to believe me." Cobblepot explained angrily. "Bartinelli got me an invitation, I accepted."

"Invitation which you found both tempting and bogus in the first place. You wanted in, by investing someone else's cash."

"You sound like being careful is a crime." Joker eyed Cobblepot evilly. "And I just could not move that much money without you know who finding out. I know how much you like to play with the bat, but I prefer to stay away from him. Besides, that does not explain why you decided to show up."

"Needed to make sure my money was going to be well invested, and right now, I'm not so sure. Puzzles, treasures and a dead man leading us is a lot to take, even for me. If it was not for the Bat…I'd go home right now." Joker responded as he flicked one of the balls at Cobblepot. Penguin flicked it back.

"Your obsession with the flying rodent scares me. You're supposed to drive him away from us, but instead you sound like you want him here besides you."

"I like to keep my toys close. That's true." The Jester giggled.

"Do you like to sleep with them too?" Penguin wiped his face and drank from the glass of water in front of him. Joker did not say a word. "You are indeed odd. Nothing should surprise me anymore. Oh, and thank you. Now everybody hates me for bringing you here."

"And who cares? You're going to get filthy rich without investing a single penny. I granted you your wish, stop complaining."

"And you're so enthralled in your own game that you don't see Mask wants to get rid of you, right? That's why he's sending you on this suicide mission and you agreed to every bit." Cobblepot said setting a reassuring hand over the Jester's hunter green cashmere jacket. Joker pushed his hand off and rose from the chair.

"He offered me the mission because he knows I'm the only one who can do it."

"Your megalomania will get you killed one day. You have to be careful with whom you play, Joker. Black and you still have a bone to pick. I'll watch my back if I was you." Oswald squeaked while Joker frowned and the fire behind his emerald eyes spelled murder. Penguin swallowed hard, cleared his throat and went on. "Mask is setting you up for a major screw over, pal. Mark my words; you're not coming from this one."

"I hope you don't gamble Pengy because you're in for a surprise. I love surprises, don't you?"

"Don't know what you mean." Cobblepot said pulling a box of expensive Treasure cigarettes from a pocket of his jacket. Joker snatched the box and tried crushing the aluminum pack in his hands. "HEY, THAT IS A FIFTY DOLLAR PACK!"

"No time to play with your cancer sticks, Ozzy. I need you focused." Joker gave up trying to crush the pack and put it away in his pocket. "We have work to do and then Batsy will not be able to get his eyes off me. Come on, let the games begin…"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was late in the evening when Batman arrived at the Asylum premises. This was the break that he was waiting for to peer into this mysterious recruiting plan. Batman got out of the car, and started to walk to the main entrance. By one of the columns, was Tim's black bike. Good, he would need all the help he could breaking Nigma and Dick was still at the Iceberg's Lounge.

He entered the building, with piercing eyes of guards, doctors and orderlies, following him down the narrow halls. He was headed towards the meeting rooms. When he arrived, he found Commissioner Gordon, accompanied by Detective Montoya already standing in front of the first room. By the door stood Robin, who quickly stood in attention at the arrival of the Knight.

"We've kept Nigma in the room for about twenty minutes. He has no idea what's going on, and he's not happy about it." Gordon said, pulling a small notebook from his trench coat. "I got the warrant for Galindo to take his statement, but our broker has made a timely disappearing act. His secretary has not seen him for four days, and he has not phoned back to the office."

"Probably skipped town once he realized we were closing on him," Tim said.

"Most likely. Do you know if anyone has tried to contact Nigma since the escape?"

"His lawyer visited him twice, but we have no access to the contents of those meetings under the Asylum's new privacy act. With our new developments I'm trying to force them to reveal the recordings of the meetings but that will take some time."

"Nigma is our only living link to whoever might've released Fries and Crane and hopefully that will give us a lead as to who's trying to reorganize Mask's territory." Batman walked over to the door to the interrogation room. "And this could get a little…rough. Edward is not going to bend easily."

"I understand. But please, try to keep it legal." Gordon pleaded almost to a whisper.

Batman turned towards the door and followed Tim into the interrogation room. "Always."

As they entered the room they found Nigma dressed in the hospital's orange jumper, sitting at the table in the middle of the enclosure, with hands chained to the top of the table. A pair of heavy shackles held his feet close together. Nigma lifted his green eyes to meet the two detectives, letting out a disgusted snort as he did so.

"Why are you here, I have not done anything!"

"Don't play the victim, Edward. We know you and Plummet were supposed to join Freeze and Crane when they walked out of here."

"And I'm guilty for not going with them on their nightly stroll, is that it?" Nashton laughed and cocked his head in an almost paternal way. Batman lunged, slapping Nigma, hard enough to knock him off his seat. Nigma rattled in his chains as he slowly fought to get back on the chair. The left of corner of his mouth bled profusely.

"HEY! What was that for?" Riddler protested tensing against his restraints.

"To keep you focused. Who organized the escape, Edward?"

"A rich man needs it, a poor man has it and will kill you if you eat it?"

There was a short pause before the Detective answered. "Nothing."

"Exactly what you're getting from me, Bats. Why don't you try getting your leads somewhere else?"

"And what about Galindo?" Robin inquired, causing Batman and the Riddler to look at the young man in suspiciously. This was not part of the Detective's plan, and revealing about Galindo at this time could jeopardize the whole interrogation.

"What I need to know is who wanted you outside." Batman asked trying to re-focus the whole conversation.

"My mamma…." The Riddler snapped back when he was surprised by a jab that sent him to the floor beside the table. Robin remained still, looking carefully at his mentor through this unexpected outburst. Grabbing his busted lip Nigma scooted across the floor to recline against the wall. "Keep this up and I'm not talking to you anymore. I swear."

"You should limit to answer what you're asked. Who is your outside contact, Edward?"

"Who makes it doesn't need it…who buys it doesn't want it and who uses it doesn't know he's using it…" Nigma murmured.

Batman lunged and the Riddler and lifting him from the floor, pressed him hard against the wall. "A coffin…like the one holding Plummet, right? You're riddles are getting old, Edward."

"And one is waiting for you," Nigma replied as he cowered against the wall. "You have this uncanny ability to make some people angry. Powerful people."

"Who?" Batman lifted a fist, ready to pound on the Riddler. "Maybe if you could enlighten me, Edward…"

"We know all about you and Galindo," Robin continued, more as a means of deviating the tension that was building up. Nashton's eyes had not left Tim's as he tried to read the boy's intention. Batman could feel apprehension in the Riddler's green eyes.

"You're not going to deny it now, are you?" Tim added.

"I…." The Riddler's voice trailed off slightly. Maybe Robin was up to something here. "You're talking about the broker…right?"

"No, I'm talking about your grandfather. How many Joe Galindo's you know, Nigma?" Tim spat looking at Batman as if waiting for a confirmatory statement. The Detective looked over at the master of Riddles, his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed hard. The lights on the interrogation room flickered for a second startling everybody for a moment.

"You think you could keep that up this long without us finding out?" Tim went on.

"I don't know what you're talking about, kid."

"Plummet is dead Eddie," Batman lunged again, pinning Nigma against the wall. He hoped to extend the lie a little longer before Nashton figured them out. "Trashed like a used napkin. What would prevent you from being the next? Definitely not your lawyer."

"Plummet had a heart attack in his cage, happens to anyone." Nigma chuckled, breathing heavily under the Knight's weight pressing on him. In the interrogation room, the lights flickered again.

"That's weird." Tim hushed under his breath looking at the lights above.

Batman went on for the kill. "Timely death don't you think, Edward? It could have been you too, but you were tucked safely in solitary. Now you don't think they're watching? They might want to know what you're telling me."

"Wha—?" Nigma started to say when he paused to look nervously at the one way mirror behind the detective. "I'm not telling you a thing."

"But how would they know? You have become a loose end, Eddie."

Nigma's eyes narrowed and flickered with fear. "You would not risk my life to find out who's behind this…I know you."

"Do you really know me that well?"

I…yes, you wouldn't..." Doubt filtered through Nigma's broken voice."… would you?"

"Know this, Edward. I'll do anything I can to solve this case and unless you give me a reason to protect you by cooperating, I will let everything run its natural course. Even if it meant turning you into bait."

"You can start singing now, Riddler." Tim stated. "Who organized the escape? Was it Galindo?"

"The asshole…I can't believe he set me up!" Nigma huffed kicking at the chains holding him down. "He told me I had special talents that were unique. Talents that could make me rich if I knew how to use them right. Only condition was to put in a quarter of a million dollars on the table…for expenses. Then he could guarantee me at least three times as much as I invested."

"And that didn't sound too good to be true to you?" Batman inquired.

"At the beginning it did, until he told me that I was part of a selective elite club. Only the best of the underworld. He threw over names. Crane, Fries, Marty Bertinelli. How could you let something like that go?"

"But Galindo could still have been playing with your ego"

"Then I had my layer ask some questions around and found out Dent had been contacted too. The White Shark as well. Everything Galindo had told me was true. So I paid him the quarter of a million dollars."

"All your assets were frozen when they arrested you last, Edward." Tim said.

"Galindo can make money out of anything, even an old dilapidated warehouse."

"You got him one of your hideouts as payment." Batman deduced.

"And he accepted it. He promised me out of here and told me when to be ready. Just like he was helping Fries and Crane. "

'But you got in an altercation with Szasz that had you sent to solitary."

"It was not my fault. Szasz didn't like the kindergarten riddle I told him. He just couldn't get it, because he IS an ass. So he let me have a talk with his fists. I let mine answer back." Nigma chuckled and Batman growled. Edward's smile disappeared from his face.

"I understand why they would approach you, but why Plummet? He's a nobody."

"And maybe crazier than the Clown. You know he always talked to himself aloud, especially in the middle of the night? Sometimes he would speak in strange languages. He swore he could…see things."

"Things?" Tim inquired.

"Ghosts. I heard that the night I was supposed to leave he was screaming in his cell. If you check the video, you might see your murderer. Do you know how they killed him?"

"Oh we don't know. We have not received the autopsy reports from the coroner's office," Tim said with a shrug.

"But you…you tricked me. You don't even know if Plummmet was indeed murdered." Nashton started when he rolled his eyes. "And I just told you everything."

"We appreciate your…unwilling cooperation. If he was, we're not going to let them get close to you." Batman responded tossing the Riddler back on the chair. "But we're going to have to talk to your lawyer."

"It's not like I can stop you. Just keep Galindo and his goons away from me. If he knows what I've told you he will not be happy."

"From now on, you're under the Police Department protection. We're done here." With long strides, he left the interrogation room followed closely by Tim. The Commissioner stood by the one way glass, holding his chin with a hand. Gordon looked almost…amused.

"That was barely legal."

"But it worked. You have a probable cause against Galindo now and I would like to get a hold of Nashton's lawyer tonight if possible."

"I already asked for a court order. And with this, they will release the transcripts on Riddler's meetings with his lawyer."

"Galindo has a lot to answer for, and we have to prevent him from reaching Edward at all cost." Batman glanced momentarily back into the room. "Jim, you noticed the lights in the room flickered…"

"I know…the hospital reported a power surge. No one had a chance to escape and the backup system kicked in immediately."

"Good. You might want to talk to Sebastian Frost too. He's recent dealings with Galindo make his merger the much more suspicious."

"We'll extend the warrant nationwide and I'll contact Interpol," Gordon responded as Batman noticed two large officers entering the interrogation room behind him to retrieve the Riddler. Nashton, exited the room, flanked by the two officers when Gordon motioned the officers to stop. "We need Nigma isolated from the general population until further notice. Take him back to solitary and post two guards on his door. Surveillance 24/7 in his cell."

"Solitary…no, not again," Riddler started to protest as he was dragged down the hall, the massive officers pulling the inmate by his arms while Nigma tried to break his advance.

"Good idea. Maybe it will be good to keep an eye on the Iceberg Lounge as well."

"Cobblepot…why?"

"When has anything happened in this city that Penguin doesn't try to get a slice of? Besides, he's been acting very suspiciously lately."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Batman started down the stairs when Tim rushed down in a hurry, ignoring his mentor's presence. Bruce hurried to catch up with him. "You should've followed my lead during the investigation."

"We would still be talking to Riddler," Tim responded without even looking back. "Besides, we got what we wanted, didn't we?"

Batman stopped on the sidewalk leading to the parking lot, his eyes focusing angrily at his partner. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Robin asked as he grabbed his helmet and polished the visor with the cape.

"Robin, what's wrong?" Batman insisted.

"Nothing. It's just that well, while interrogating Nigma, there were moments there you looked tense."

"I was trying to intimidate Nigma. He was feeling pretty cocky in there."

"I know you. That was not just intimidation." Robin snapped.

"I think we need to talk this back in headquarters."

"Sure whatever, but…?" Tim responded adjusting his helmet when the alarms in the Asylum went off. The security towers in the perimeter of the main building focused their binoculars on the hospital's main ground as military armored vehicles started to approach the building's main entrance. "What now?"

"Don't know, but I don't like it."

Batman silently rushed through the gardened paths until he reached the Asylum's main entrance that had been closed shut. Outside of the building, armed guards formed a perimeter along the staircase and a helicopter started to fly above the building grounds. From a nearby security vehicle an African-American officer in the Asylum's brown and red security uniform coordinated orders using a portable radio.

"What's going on?" Batman inquired. Tim was close behind him.

"Security has been breached inside the asylum maximum's security wing. As part of protocol, all access to the building has been denied until the threat has been isolated."

"Where's Gordon?"

"Still inside with some police officers," the officer responded when the Detective pulled the grappler and fired it towards one of the main towers that flanked the entrance. "The National Guard is surrounding the grounds now and they have a chopper in the air. They're preparing to raid the hospital."

"Tell Gordon we'll be joining him soon." This was totally unexpected and unwarranted. Were they trying to get to Nigma? Batman needed to protect his only witness at any cost. "Robin, get through the south façade and meet me inside. We need to prevent any leak of prisoners and make sure Gordon and his men remain safe."

"It's crazy. Who would organize an escape with this much security in place?" Robin inquired rhetorically as he ran along the entrance to reach the far end of the building and the south façade. He fired his grapple and started to climb up to the roof.

Getting into the Asylum was not that hard, especially since he had memorized the building's schematics, including all secret egress routes the police used. He gained access to the gymnasium in the fourth top floor quick. The barred doors out of the gymnasium where shut by electronic device. Security was impenetrable once the emergency systems were in place, unless he could access the codes. No time for that now. The detective ran a mental scan of the building's schematics of the foundation and remembered security had developed some of the secret passages into access tunnels for especial forces personnel in the eventuality of a massive break out. Two doors opened here to the gymnasium.

He noted one of the doors a few feet high in the wall, surrounded by an electrical grid. Batman threw a batarang towards the door and shorted the grid, making the door open door with an explosive bang. He jumped up and latched himself against the bricked wall with his the spikes in his gauntlet and quickly reached for the door, disappearing towards the lower levels. He quickly reached the main holding level when he heard voices down the corridor. Soon shadows danced against the brick walls of the narrow passage and the low rumble of voices alerted him to his possible targets.

"Robin, where're you?" The Detective whispered into his comm unit.

"Hospital wing, sixth floor. You?"

"Main holding level fourth floor. I think I found our visitors. Try to reach me fast, I might need backup."

"On my way."

Batman advanced slowly as to not make a sound as the voices appeared to come closer to his location. He pulled a batarang from his utility belt and approached the sound of steps when from a corner Gordon appeared followed by a small regiment of security officers and startled at the menacing black figure.

"And where do you come from? We're on lockdown." The Commissiner said surprised to find Batman inside. "Oh well, we have a security breach in holding grid three and the isolation ward, and we have lost communication with main security in this part of the building."

"Where is Edward?"

"I sent him back to solitary with an armed escort like you suggested." Gordon said trying to adjust the static of his communicator. "We have lost contact with them."

"I suspect this was organized to get access to Nigma." Batman said as he started fast along the hall.

"This is crazy. An escape attempt in broad daylight and all this security?" One of the Commissioner's men said.

"Exactly, the building closed down, there is no way out," Gordon responded moving along the narrow passage behind the Dark Knight to solitary containment level. Once they reached the hall containing Edward's cell, the Commissioner headed to the closest grid and looked out to floor level. "I don't see a thing…and the exit is on the other side of the hall and seems unaffected."

"Back off!" The Knight warned as he pulled a strange-looking gun from his utility belt and fired at the grid some globs of sticky goo with a small timer embedded on it. The globs exploded and the grid fell down to the floor with a loud clang. Batman jumped to the main level followed by Gordon and his entourage and ran down the hall until they reached Nigma's cell.

"_Damnit!"_ He slammed an angry fist on the cell door's frame. He pulled his cell phone. "I can't believe this!"

"Neither Nigma nor his escort made it, right?" Batman asked to the Commissioner who after a few moments in his phone shook his head again. Batman noted a small cardboard box on Nigma's nicely made bed along with Joker playing cards littering the entire floor of the cell. _No…no_. "Is there a way to open this door now?"

One of the officers with Gordon ran a security card on the slot by the door and entered a secret code. The door slid opened and Batman rushed in picking one of the cards from the floor. This was the real thing, cards from the Joker's private stack. He tossed the card on the floor and stood before the enigmatic box. On the nicely pressed sheets, the Knight noted a dark red stain under the box. Gordon looked around the cell floor.

"The playing cards…damn! Joker is here? How did that clown made it through all this security?" The Commissioner opened a channel on his communicator. "We have a Clown in the building. I repeat, Joker as well as Riddler are loose in the building. We need the National Guard in here, fast!"

"He has always managed to get around security, but this is insane. The risks outweighed the benefits." Batman responded leaning over the box that was just lightly taped at the top. He quickly undid the tape under the Commissioner's concerned look.

"Maybe we should wait for the bomb squad to open that..."

"This is not a bomb…it's a warning." The moment Batman opened the box, a puff of confetti exited explosively and rained all over the bed. The Detective pulled the severed head of a bronze skinned man with black eyes rolled up on his head and fresh blood dripping from his half opened mouth and the base of his severed neck. "Galindo…Good God!" Gordon said putting a handkerchief on his mouth as he reached for his transmitter.

Batman replaced the head into the box and walked out of the cell, glancing lightly at the cards all over the floor. After all the Clown had said, Joker would always be Joker. The Detective would have wanted to believe that the Jester had a genuine desire to change his ways, but this proved that Joker was not going to change. How could he change? The man was completely out of his mind and was driven by demons that no one could control; not even himself. Still, it hurt him…deep. For in the bottom of his heart he had wished the animosity between him and the clown would really have come to an end. Now it looked it was destined to last forever.

"Batman," Gordon said looking worryingly at the Knight's pensive face. "BATMAN!"

"He has an advantage over us…time. At least thirty minutes."The Knight responded automatically.

"But with all this security the building is sealed …"one of the officers said, "He has to still be inside."

"They couldn't just have slipped through the National Guard out there." Gordon said

"Do you know the name of the two officers that took Nigma back to his cell?"

"I'll get those names, and I want a background check on everybody in this building when the alarms went off. No excuses. I even want the name of the doctors on duty, the janitors, just everybody." Gordon announced. "I want the entire building searched, brick by brick. If Joker's still here I want him found and I want to know how he got in through security."

"I can't believe that Clown has escaped from under our noses like this. Makes us look stupid." One of the security officers muttered when the emergency lights and sirens started to die off. At the main security check of the cell grid, a large group of Army officers in protective gear and powerful automatic in hands entered the room and started to inspect the remaining cells.

"Cell grid three secured. Just Commissioner Gordon, four hospital security officers and a vigilante. Running an inmate headcount now," said one of the officers over the com unit in his shoulder.

"Only one missing in this grid son," Gordon said while he lighted a cigarette. "Edward Nigma."

Sir...this is a non-smoking area," the young officer started to say when Gordon glared at him. "Sorry sir...regulations."

"I'll go see why we couldn't get a hold of security cameras in this area," Gordon said, angrily tossing the cigarette aside and stepping on it as he left the cell block. Batman remained looking at the mess of cards on the floor.

_Why Joker, why?_ The Detective asked himself trying to understand the Clown's behavior, after all, he Nigma were not exactly friends. Not too long ago, Joker had tried to kill Edward over the way he was looking at him play solitaire. Joker had claimed that Riddler was 'talking' to the cards and was making him lose the game. After that day neither inmate was allowed in the same room at the same time.

Why would Joker then risk capture at the hands of a contingent of hospital security, SWAT teams and National Guard just to get Nigma out? Vengeance was a possibility, but Joker would probably have enjoyed more leaving Edward's bleeding or dead body for everyone to see, and so far, he Riddler's body have not been found. Robin arrived at the hall and saw Batman scanning Nigma's cell.

"I heard…Nigma left?"

"He got help from outside," Batman responded pointing to the cards on the floor.

"Now why would that clown come back from the very place he had escaped from, especially in broad daylight? It's crazy."

"Joker loves the theatrical, but this is… If it would have been Harley I would understand, but Nigma? He must have had something else in mind." Batman said inspecting some of the cards that littered the floor. In one of them, he found a hand written message:

_Not everything that's funny will make you laugh. Sometimes it will make you cry too._

What the hell was that supposed to mean and why exactly leave a message like this here? Batman wondered as he moved away from the eyes of the guards inside and put the card away into his belt.

"Maybe he just wanted a new toy. You almost sound sorry he doesn't want to play with you anymore." Robin's word hit him hard the moment he said them. It was an obvious recrimination of his recent isolation. Tim motioned towards Nigma's bed. "What's in the box?"

"Galindo's head. The blood seemed pretty fresh, but the head was showing the first signs of rigor mortis. Probably killed within the last two or three hours."

"That's pretty gross, and you said this is not theatrical?" Tim said, picking some of the confetti from the bed.

"The head's missing his trademark, his signature…the rictus smile."

"He's an unpredictable murderer. Doesn't stick to a deterimined MO," Tim finally said after looking around the cell. He took one of the cards from the floor and waved it in front of him for the Knight to see. "He killed Galindo, and look. He signed the deed, just to mock us. That's very much the Joker I know."

"Guess he did." Batman said flatly when Gordon returned to the holding grid accompanied by a group of forensic specialists carrying bags and suitcases with them. They entered Nigma's cell and started to set up equipment from their cases.

"Look what they found at the security surveillance room," he showed the bag to the detective. Inside was another deck of Joker cards with a flowery design of interlaced vines. "He really made us look like fools. I can almost hear him laughing now."

"How many people did he kill this time?" Robin asked while Batman picked one of the cards from the floor and looked at it in great detail.

"None." Batman looked at Gordon with surprise. "He used sleeping gas. Probably the same stuff he used at the award ceremony since everyone is waking up with a horrible headache."

"Whoa! Now that's odd. You know how many people he hates in this place?"

"And then he doesn't do anything else other than take Nigma out of the building. Being able to fool a whole array of specialized security personnel, and not showing off, that's unusual. But then, he might not have had time for much."

"He's being acting a little odd lately, Batman," Gordon explained. "Just remember what he did at the award ceremony."

Tim couldn't help to stare at the tall dark figure of the Detective. It didn't require much detective work to realize what the Commissioner was referring to, and he had a very good insight of how unusual the Joker's behavior had been in the past. Something that not even Bruce had dared to talk about.

"He must be going through some personal psychosis or something…" The Boy wonder finally said. "He was hallucinating some very weird stuff lately, right Batman?" The Detective remained silent.

"You said Galindo was a warning…what did you mean by that?" Gordon inquired.

"I'm not positive, but the fiasco of the first escape might not have gone too well with Galindo's boss."

"And he sent Joker to finish the job? What's this...Clown for hire? Now that makes even less sense." Tim said. "You think he had something to do with Plummet's death too? I don't get it if he was supposed to retrieve them both."

"I have no answer to that," Batman responded as he placed the card in his hand against the evidence bag and looked hard at the composition. "But maybe Galindo's not the only message they wanted to get through."

"What…the cards?"

"One Joker card deck," the Knight said pointing at the card he had picked from the floor. "Then another in security and the confetti. Only one set of cards would have been enough to sign this."

"Isn't he just showing off?"

"They're not even from the same deck. Look at the design on the back. I don't get it…what is he trying to tell us…?"

"That he has outwitted us." Tim said, "Joker does not plan his games. He just plays…impulsively. He just wanted to make sure we knew he made us look like fools…twice."

"I agree with Robin. This is probably his way of showing off his superiority."

Batman paused for a moment. "Probably. Commissioner, did we run a toxicology profile on Plummet?"

"No. The coroner said that Plummet had a congenital defect on his heart that probably led to the heart attack."

"It will be a good idea to check for drugs in his system."

"What are you suspecting?"

"From what Nigma told us, Plummet seemed to be prone to hallucinations, paranoia and seemed to have been scared to death the day he died."

"Scarecrow's fear gas?"

"Just a theory. But if true…we'd know who murdered him."


	25. Wicked Truths

_****__**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note:** Happy St Valentine to all my readers! Like promised, I'm trying to post often, so here is your new chapter. Things are starting to get a little complicated (and heated) for the Bat and the Jester, leading to another encounter in the real NEAR future. Hopefully this little web I'm weaving is enough to grab your attention a little longer. _

_Want to take a moment to say something to those out there who has set this story in their alerts and favs. You guys make writing worth while, thanks a million for your support and love. Also thanks to those silent but faithful readers that I know are out there. Hope I fullfill your expectations with the story._

_One last thing. For me, Batman/Joker slash is a OC issue, and as such I needed to make tweaks here and there in the continuity to see the plot fit my ends. Having said this, though I have tried to remain as in character as it has been physically possible, I also wanted to add a certain realism to the feelings involved in the story. After all, this characters are "alive" in my story and I want to see them as three dimensional beings rather than comical flat caricatures. I also wanted to give them a fresh re-interpretation, that you might not find in canon, so don't expect these characters to completely reflect their comic book personas (though I have tried to get them as close as I could). I also took liberties with other characters and gave them a totally different twist, not to demeanor their value as characters but to add a litte...mystery to their auras. A kind of 'what if?' if you would._

_This is a piece of fiction, intended for entertaining purposes, not as the definite Joker fiction standard. PLEASE, respect my reinterpretations of this characters and my apologies to those that might not aggree with them. Maybe this story is not for you. But if I have made you all a little curious, be my guest and keep on reading, for I am promising more surprises in the future._

_Remember, we writers can't live on air, but we do live on your feedback. Feel totally free to share your opinions and criticism and though this is old...also feel free to correct my grammar. Still BETA-less, I've really tried my best to keep the grammar clean, but I'm far from perfect (English is MY SECOND language, so my excuses to the grammar nazis). One thing I will ask though. Do not use the reviews to insult or belittle, as for those hardly make us any better authors. Now I will shut up and let you enjoy this chapter..._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters are owned by DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be situations that call for MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS including some EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT. Please be warned and read judiciously._

**Chapter 25: Wicked Truths**

It was past three in the evening when Joker arrived at the meeting place designated by Black Mask: the Offices of Morton Fitzgerald attorney at law. The lawyer, of well known dubious affairs, had managed some of Mask's business until his boss' reported death. After that, Fitzgerald had spoken with authorities about going straight and they had left him alone, but now that Mask was back, the only way the attorney could repay the many 'favors' was lending his office for the gangster's business once more with the promise from Black of course that the police would not touch him.

"Sit down Eddie," Joker snarled as he pushed Nigma into the lawyer's office, making him stumble over one of the chairs in the reception area."You look half dead."

"Look Joker, I don't know how much Galindo paid you to kill me, but…I can double it." The dread in Edward's voice was obvious. "Why don't we discuss this?"

"Discuss what? It's clearer than blood...excuse me…heh heh...water."Joker giggled maliciously.

"I didn't tell them anything I swear. Galindo is safe, and I don't want to end up like Plummet-."

"Plummett…hmmm," the Jester said resting his chin on a crooked finger and concentrating hard. "Isn't that the wacko who used to see things and talk to thin air in his cell? HEH! And they call me crazy."

"Yes, the guy you killed."

"Oh no, no. I didn't kill Plummet. Actually I didn't even know he was dead. Pity. He and I would have made great friends." Joker could not hold a playful giggle.

"If you didn't, who did then?"

"Beats me, chum," Joker was quick in dismissing Nigma, "You were my personal project, a kind of initiation, if you may call it that."

"This is your way of getting even from that solitaire game you lost…isn't it?"

"Oh, no, no. That was not you." Joker responded as he straightened his jacket. "The Aces finally told me it was the Jack of Spades' idea. He joined with the Queen of Hearts and convinced the rest of the deck, including the Jack of hearts who I thought was my friend, to play along and...well, you know the rest. I burned the cards that night…all of them." The Jester chuckled. "That's what you do with a bad deck."

Nigma gave the Clown an enigmatic look. "Come on, I even helped you with your wife's murder. Doesn't that count for something? You owe me, Joker." The Jester's eyes sparkled as they narrowed and his smile widened. This was just too much fun.

"Really, and how you want me to pay you…cash, government bonds or lead?"

"All right. If you want me to beg for my life, I will, because I don't want to die." Nigma said kneeling in front of the Clown. Joker covered his mouth with a gloved hand and laughed softly.

"Die? What's going on here, gentlemen?" Black Mask inquired as he entered the room and saw the strange scene.

"Oh, he's just praying to the Lord of chaos." Joker lifted his arms high above him and started to laugh loudly. "You have my blessing Eddie. Please leave your offerings by the door. Remember I like white chocolate truffles."

"You're not going to kill me?"" Edward snapped while Black exchanged curious looks with his associate.

"After all I went to get you out, you crazy? Though seeing you on your knees is definitely priceless!" Joker shrugged and stuck his tongue out mockingly.

"You fucking son of-" Nigma started to say ready to lunge at the Jester when he turned to Mask who just seemed bemused by the whole situation. "Wait a minute. Aren't you supposed to be dead, Black?"

"I heard someone was spreading that rumor." Mask responded.

"No, really. Dead. The cat-lady…POW! Bullet in your head. Is this one of your jokes Joker?" The Jester shook his head and sat on one of the indigo satin chair in the room where he quietly started to shuffle a deck of cards. "Then how is it-?"

"I shall leave that riddle to your genius, Mr. Nashton. Right now we have more important things to discuss."

"Nigma...I don't go by Nashton anymore."

"Right…Mr. Nigma. You have been selected from a fortunate few to join a club destined to take this city by storm, and claim what is rightfully yours. Riches beyond your dreams and power beyond your imagination."

"I'm not completely sure of what you're saying, Mr. Black." Nigma said adjusting his orange hospital jumper as if it was an expensive suit. "If that's who you really are."

"I can assure your eyes don't deceive you, Edward and I will explain everything to you after you have changed to more appropriate attire. Please follow Thomas to get you new clothes while I have a word with your rescuer."

Nigma thought it over for a moment, looked at the Joker then back to the gangster and noticing the impatience in Black's body language he agreed to leave the room with his escort. Once alone, The Mask walked over to where the Jester had started to deal his deck.

"Told you I could do it with my eyes closed," the Jester said without lifting his gaze, "but you can feel free to celebrate my genius because you know well I deserve it."

"Sometimes, your ego indeed gets on the way of your genius, Joker."

"Would you please let go my ego?" The Jester responded with an angry stare. "Tell me who else could have retrieved your green 'package' from the Asylum in the middle of the day from under Gordy's moustache?"

"You have indeed, managed to impress me."The Jester studied Mask's inscrutable skeleton face.

"Sooo...I'm in." Joker said in his unmistakable falsetto, winking at the gangster mischievously

"Let's say that you have made a strong case for your admittance to the club. I could use a man of your talents." Joker jumped from his seat and wrapped his arms tightly around the ghoulish gangster who cringed and pushed the Jester back onto the chair. The smell of sulfur invaded Joker's nose again as he snorted. "What intrigues me is what you really want to get out of this, Joker. You said money did not interest you, neither power. What is in it for you then?"

"Pure innocent fun, Skeletor. You should have seen the Bat's face when I delivered your package and retrieved your Riddle Master from under his cape. It was funny seeing him scratch his cowl."

Mask forced a smile and patted the Jester's shoulder. Once more the stench of brimstone permeated the air between them. "You would not play one of your games on me, would you, Joker?

"What and upset my new BFF? That would be…crazy, don't you think?"

Masks eyes narrowed. "Incredible, but you almost sound sane. Appealing to your present non-psychotic state I would like to warn you that playing with me could be a mortal mistake on your part. I don't like jokes, and I don't like double crossers. Do I make myself clear?"

"You need to lighten up, Blackie. See the fun side of death and definitely change deodorant." Joker said fanning his hand in front of his nose.

"Trying to be funny, Clown?"

"No, giving you a tip. Women like manly men with a whiff of natural musk, but your musk…well, that will scare even a vegetable like Ms. Isle."

"I'll be very careful as to who you insult, Joker. In this club, your enemies outnumber your friends. Friendly advice: watch your back at all times and shut up."

"In this club, the only thing my enemies need to fear…is me. Have a reputation, you know?"

"Oh yes. Impulsive, unpredictable, ruthless. Insane. Heard someone even said that your rage is legendary. All the qualities I am searching on a good soldier for the cause. Maybe you are what I need, after all."

"Are you flirting with me, Skeletor?"

"No, just stating your virtues, Joker. You are more than meets the eye, and maybe my strongest ally, if you keep up the good work."

Joker threw an arm around Black's shoulder. "Well, now that we are getting so well acquainted, you would not mind telling your best general why you wanted Eddie Nigma here so bad. Is this part of your treasure hunt?"

"What business I have with Mr. Nigma, is our private business, Joker." Mask responded menacingly.

"Ok, Boss…no reason to abuse my welcome, here but I just never thought of you as a believer in fairy tales. This is not a treasure hunt, is it? I love the way you play, Skeletor."

Mask laughed softly. "And you'll love it even more when you have a chance to play with your favorite rodent. But first, I need one more favor from you."

"Oh no…I'm not your personal gopher, Black. I'm not running a charity here." Joker warned wagging a finger in front of his chest.

"Of course not, but your talents are priceless to retrieve a very important artifact for me. And to show you I trust you, I'll leave you in charge. I don't care how you do it, as long as you get me the artifact."

"Any way I want?" Joker asked incredulously.

"It's your game, Joker. Have fun with it."

"Well, what do you know?" Joker crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head. A wide smile stretched across his face.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was about six thirty by the time Robin and Batman arrived to the cave. Tim was swift in dismounting his bike and waking towards the cave exit while he started taking his mask and cape. Batman emerged from the Batmobile and tried to reach the young hero.

"Robin, wait." He finally called when he realized that Tim was going to be unreachable. The young hero turned, with a disgruntled look in his face as if he had been interrupted from an important mission. "We need to talk."

"Only if you want to talk," Tim snapped back.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You have kept to yourself after that clown had you. I can respect that, Bruce, but when it starts to affect your work, I get worried. And every time I have tried to reach out to you, you just shun me away, even after did all I could do to save you. It's not fair, we're a team."

"Yes we are. And you've always trusted me."

"Trusted? Of course I trust you…but do you trust me?"

"This has not-" Bruce struggled with the words, "It has not been easy for me, but I am back and if I tell you I'm fine, you better trust me on that one. We have a lot of work on now to bring the past back."

"Then why are you still so edgy? You went out the other night, alone…after over a three week hiatus and almost got killed, and no…Selina didn't tell me. I had sources. Then you almost snapped Nigma's head off tonight. What did Joker do to you?"

"Nothing." Bruce took a deep sigh. "It's not important anymore."

"See? That's what I hate about you, Bruce. You went after Nigma like you were trying to vent something out, and when Joker takes him without confronting you, you almost look hurt that you were not part of his game."

"That's not true."

"Who are you trying to fool? Joker went to talk to Vicky about ways to get your attention for who knows what. Weird, but now you're acting as weird as he is. I know you and what I saw at the Asylum was not you."

"I will not tolerate you talking to me like that. I was trying to intimidate Nigma when you decided to risk the interrogation by going off without telling me what you were up to. What if Edward would have stopped talking? It would have all been a waste of time."

"But he didn't. What you want me to do, apologize for getting the job done?" Tim's tone was irreverent.

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "I want you to follow protocol. I have been doing this longer than you."

"Yes, you have and a crazy Clown that scares you enough to keep you out of the streets for weeks. I would expect that of a rookie, but you Bruce? What has Joker done to you, man?"

"TIM!" Bruce yelled then held his breath and started mentally counting backwards. He was really losing his patience with this conversation that was leading nowhere. He needed to focus.

"Don't deny it…and don't deny you were also shocked when you saw that Joker had been at the Asylum too. It's like you were not expecting him to come back."

"What I expected was a little more respect from you. You're under my care." Bruce growled.

"And I expected you to trust me a little more and open up about what bothers you. Family…I don't think you even believe that anymore. Listen to yourself, about to lose it again with me." Drake responded with a disgusted snort as he turned around and headed towards the cave exit. "Look, it's being a long day and I have a lot of homework to do. See ya in the morning, OK?"

Batman stood there, watching the young man disappear behind the large vaulted doors at the cave's exit. He felt an urge of grabbing Tim by an arm and pull him back to finish this conversation, but he knew it would be useless. He could feel the anger inside him, boiling like he had not felt in a long time. Was he really venting at the interrogation? Was it obvious that discovering Joker was behind Nigma's escape bothered him? And why did it bother him in the first place? Because Joker had lied to him. So what? He had lied many other times before.

Bruce pulled off the cowl and paced between the computer and forensic stations. Thoughts were racing through his brain at the speed of light. Joker's confessions and promises…why did they matter so much to him? Joker was a liar, and a demented murderer, not to be trusted. HE. KNEW. THAT. And it was Joker who had made him hide his shame for weeks after- he rushed to find a word to describe his ordeal—the _**abuse**_ he suffered in captivity. Yes, abuse he had suffered at his white hands. Those hands…that made him feel things he had never felt before…

"Damnit, NO!" Bruce told himself as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the bat-computer station, his stomach tied into a knot. But it had felt…like nothing he had felt before. The Clown Prince of Crime had made HIM feel…special…NO!DIRTY! And he let him. He would even have asked for it. He had also dropped his guard and trusted that lying Jester of Hate and his wish to change. How the hell could he trust that grinning gargoyle? Because deep inside he was so much like him…meant for each other…

"NO! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?" Bruce yelled as he backed off towards the forensic station, holding tightly to the table and looking up at the large Joker card hanging from the cavern's ceiling. He felt betrayed, but why? "God damn Joker, what have you done to me?"

Rage filled him, like he had not felt in a while. And he couldn't focus on anything else but that anger. He pushed the case folders sitting on the forensic table, leaving a mess of papers scattered all over the floor, then kicked the stool holding that new transducer he was working on for weeks. The piece of equipment smashed on the floor.

Not enough chaos. He noticed the box of expensive equipment he kept to use on the now useless transducer. Without thinking it twice, Bruce bent over and grabbed the box, throwing it with all his might against the rocky wall of the cave. Peripherals and portable screens smashed against the wall, and whatever was left intact, finally broke in pieces as it hit the floor.

It was still not enough. He was still irate. He pulled two pairs of batarangs and tossed him with all his might at the large card on the wall perforating both eyes of the oversized Jester picture. He wanted to see that card burn. He thought of the flamethrowers on the batmobile, but reconsidered after realizing how much damage he could do to the rest of the cave. In one last try to relieve this anger, he filled his lungs with air and let out a loud growl that was soon muffled by the screeching of terrified bats that quickly filled the main vaulted dome of the cave.

Once he had let himself free of his anger in the only he could, he slumped onto the floor, panting heavily, and his heart beating in his throat. Short, fast words tried to form between the gasps.

"I'm_…(pant)…_the…Batman." He said between gasps. "I don't feel…I act. _(pant)_ I can't falter."He panted heavily. "I…am…the…night. I am the Batman."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Alfred set the breakfast tray gently over the small flat rocky ledge by the cave's back entrance and with a small handkerchief he quickly cleaned up the small amount of coffee that had spilled under the covered breakfast platter while he went down the stairs. No excuse to look sloppy or tardy even to the Master, who could care less for the timely presentation of the plate, but Alfred loved to take care of details.

He picked the tray up again and headed towards the main vault and the computer station when he was surprised by the pieces of equipment scattered on the floor, some of the electronic components smashed to bits. The butler kept on, skipping broken circuits, ground glass and hundreds of pages scattered on the floor under the dome. The forensic station was a mess, and its stool lay on its side against one of the cave walls. He looked high above and noticed there were a few large tears on the large Joker card hanging from the ceiling…and a pair of batarangs could still see embedded in the rock behind.

Over the computer station Master Wayne sat, still costumed, studying files on Joker, Nigma and other criminals Alfred didn't recognize. Trying to not slip on the debris-covered floor, he reached the forensic station where he saw the transducer broken on the floor. He and the master had worked on it for weeks. This didn't look good.

"Good morning Master Bruce. I bought breakfast."

"Thanks Alfred," Bruce responded without even looking down at the butler. His attention was focused on the screen files he was reading. "I'll get it in a minute."

"You are welcome…" Alfred said clearing his throat. "It seems like we had a busy night."

Bruce made a short pause. He knew Alfred and knew he was referring to more than just the investigation. He was also asking about the mess in the cave. That one would be hard to explain. "Yes…um…sorry for the mess, Alfred. I will clean it in a while."

"You will need help with that, I suppose."

Bruce turned to face his butler, when he realized how much of a mess he had done on the cave. How could he have lost his temper like that over something so…inconsequential? The look on Alfred's face was one of sincere concern, and it made Bruce feel very small.  
"Alfred, I…"

"Do not worry, sir." Alfred responded simply, as he started to pick up some of the papers from the floor

"No, no Alfred, I can take care of that…"

The Butler stopped what he was doing and looked back at the computer station, his eyes cold and distant. "Do you wish me to leave you alone, Master Bruce?"

The premise hit him like a ton of bricks over the head. He had wanted to deal with this alone and so far the only thing he had been able to accomplish was to isolate himself from the rest of the family. Bruce swallowed hard against his parched throat.

"No." There was a long pause and during that time both men studied each other intensely. "I think I've been alone for too long already."

"You have never been alone, sir." Alfred responded calmly returning to picking papers from the floor.

"Yes I have. Even Tim resents my absence. I'm sorry if I pushed you away too." Bruce sighed. "There is no excuse for this."

"There's no reason to apologize, Master Bruce. You just needed some time to heal your wounds."

"Wounds…" Bruce responded with a sneer. "Those healed a long time ago. What I needed was to heal my soul."

"Excuse me sir?"

"Someone…someone told me, my life…was empty." Bruce paused again. "Batman consumes every single aspect of my existence. Where does that leave Bruce Wayne?"

"I don't understand. You are Bruce Wayne…"

"No, I'm Batman. Wayne is just a curtain I use to pretend someone I'm not."

"I do not think you are giving your mission its merit or you, the respect you deserve."

"I know how important this is Alfred, but I also need to live my life as a normal person. My life is empty, a fake and I even dragged Dick and Tim to this mess. All I live for is the psychos of this city, nothing else matters. What's wrong with me?"

"It's called dedication, sir." Alfred dried his hands on his towel. "And I do not recall you putting a gun at the young Masters' head to follow your mission. They made this decision all on their own."

"Then I see what my life could become, if I let it be engulfed by the anger, the hatred. I see…and almost feel his pain, hurting deep inside him. This very same pain that feeds me to do what I do every night. I don't want that pain to consume me, like it consumed him. I don't want to end my life like him."

"Like whom sir?" Alfred inquired in an obvious loss as to where this conversation was heading.

Bruce looked down to the floor for a long moment, the thought was embarrassing. He knew his enemies inside out, knew what to expect from each one, but his worst enemy had drilled a hole in his armor and sneaked through only to infect him and poison his soul in the vilest way. He wasn't going to let that smooth talk get to him again.

"Someone I shouldn't have trusted in the first place. He can't be more than what he is. I should've known."

"Anybody can be more than what they want to be. You're the living example of that." Alfred approached the computer station gingerly, unsure if his Master needed more space or just a friendly hand on his shoulder. He stopped at the base of the stairs. "Is everything alright, sir?"

"It will be now." Bruce said returning to the files he had left on the computer screen. "Alfred, I'll take care of the cave, don't worry."

"This is going to take some time to straighten up and in case you have forgotten, you're hosting a gala for the _Love for Children_ fund tomorrow night."

"The fundraiser—." He had totally forgotten about the damn charity gala. Bruce slammed the computer console. "I'm too busy with this case Alfred, is there a way to-?"

"Pospone? Impossible, sir. This has been planned for over a month and you have a speech to prepare."

"There is no way I'm going to be able to have that speech in time."

The Butler looked around and sighed. "You will if you start on it right away and let me take care of this, sir. This might be what you so much need. A chance to leave Batman in here for one night and just be…Bruce Wayne.

"Alfred, this case is important…"

"And so are the children depending of the success of this gala. Masters Tim, Richard or Miss Cain can take over for a night. You're not alone sir."

_Maybe not, but sometimes I feel like the only man on the face of the world,_ he thought. Good Alfred, always there for him, as the rest of the family. "Reverse psychology, old friend?"

"Not yet until I mention that Ms. Vale confirmed her attendance to the gala. She's been so worried about you lately. Maybe her company would bring back the spark of dedication that seems to be dwindling in your heart."

"Alfred," Bruce swiveled on his chair to face his friend that had started picking up the mess of papers on the floor. The butler turned attentively, the expression in his eyes serene and fatherly. Bruce smiled. "Thanks."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker stood in the small office he used as a hideout at the abandoned Gaggy's Novelty store in the heart of Gotham's East end. There is where he kept the best of the best of his very recognizable trademark attire. Most of the garments had been handmade to order by tailors that had literally given their last breath to create these masterful set of clothes. Just because he was a murderous psychopath didn't mean he had to dress like a pauper, right? He stared intensely at the four tuxedos Punch and Lou had precariously being holding high above their heads for the last twenty minutes. One of them had his name on it, but he had to figure out which one. Sometimes making up his mind was just impossible…

"Lou, please hold the black one higher. I need to see me in it," Joker yelled at his thug that had started to drag the tuxedo on the floor. "What you think? Black is a classic, but it's soooo boring, even with the checkered board vest and the red bowtie. The purple one on the other hand is so me, but at the same time too….I don't know…old. And the tails are so out…even Joan Rivers would agree." The Jester made a disgusted face, "And everybody has seen me in purple, yellow and green before."

"The black will go well with your…" Lou made a pause thinking his next words, "complexion."

"But I will look like Penguin, and believe me…I I'm not ready to fall that low," Joker turned to look at Punch and the other two tuxedos. "Then there is the red one, and though matching the shoes with the black shirt will be easy, it makes me feel like I'm celebrating Christmas in July. I don't want to look like a tree ornament."

"What about the green one?" Punch asked waving the tuxedo in his right hand. "Goes well with you hair."

"Too leafy. Remind me of Poison Ivy…YUCK!." Joker said kneeling on the large sofa with his chin resting on the soft backrest. "This is too hard…Ok, one last try. Let's switch the vests around and see what we get, 'cause I still have to get it drycleaned."

The thugs started to exchange garments when Joker rose from the sofa and started to pace nervously behind them. Both Lou and Punch exchanged looks and went on their business with the tuxedoes when the Jester tapped on Punch's shoulder and signaled him silently to follow him. In the isolated corner of the room, Joker pulled a very old rusty bronze key attached to a very ornate and delicate key ring with dragons.

"Punch, I need a copy of this key…pronto."

"That's one weird-looking-."

"I know, I know. Pretty, isn't it? But you know people who're good at this and don't ask questions," the Jester saying handing the key to the thug, "and I need it for yesterday. Capice?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Oracle checked his contacts on the cryogenics industry and nobody have been seen buying any large amount of equipment for weeks. That was really strange. The suit that Fries had taken for him from the Asylum was equipped with a limited supply of energy and would require him to wear it inside an already cold enclosure. That would restrict his motility and one thing Victor hated was to feel like a caged bird. What was the scientist doing now?

And let's not forget Jonathan Crane. He left with no supply of his fear gas and he needed to get some very specialized chemicals to synthesize it. Why hasn't the psychiatrist gone shopping yet? And the sudden disappearance of Penguin from the public eye made all these moves all the more suspicious. There had to be a connection and someone out there must know something, somewhere about this mystery. She opened her contacts online and started asking questions, then one small light sparked in this darkness.

FRIZZLE01: "Oracle, I hacked into a few specialized suppliers last night and saw that someone has requested a larger shipment tempered glass able to sustain subzero temperatures. Thought it might interest you. I'm uploading the site's web address."

ORACLE: "Thanks, F, I owe you one."

FRIZZLE01: You're welcome, girl. This has something to do with that frozen psycho, Fries, isn't it?"

She hesitated for a moment. Not that people knew Oracle was a guardian of justice and her investigation always resulted in some type of conviction. These after all, were close friends.

ORACLE: "Yes, Fries."

FRIZZLE01: "Good, just kick his frigid ass back to the Asylum. We need the streets safe." That made Barbara smile.

ORACLE: "I will."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Batman looked at the recordings of Nigma's escape from the Asylum the night before. Picture of Nigma and his escort in the elevator was crisp and clear and then the image went blank, not even static. Security in that wing must have been the first place where Joker attacked…but how?

Bruce walked down to the forensic station and looked at the evidence gathered from the Asylum. One and a half decks of cards, five Joker cards with the unforgetable Jester face printed on the front, Halloween themed confetti and a small round gas bomb. Why did Joker have to leave so many clues of his presence when just the Joker cards would have been enough to sign the deed?

He turned the cards and looked at the design on their backs. The one from security was a full deck with a design in their backs of vines that folded in abstract patterns, while the ones from Nigma's cell were only half a deck with a red and black pattern mirroring each half of the back. The same mirror image style followed on the face of the cards.

Then there was that lonely card with that cryptic message. A message that had so little relation to the scene of the crime, it looked almost like the intermission in a play. To say what?

"I know you're playing with me, Joker." Bruce said to the computer screen, "but you have not told me the name of the game. It's not your usual MO, Clown, especially since the corpses are not piling up. What are you trying to tell me? Your next hit...your next victim?" He finally turned off the forensic station and walking around smalls piles of broken equipment and papers, that Alfred had so diligently grouped together, he left the cave towards the mansion. For the moment, the investigation will have to wait…all because he needed to pretend to be a superficial, self-centered millionaire playboy for the world to believe.

He stopped momentarily at the base of the stairs and looked at the damaged Joker card on the wall. That card was now scarred, like the man it was supposed to resemble. So scarred that he had lost all sign of humanity for a twisted sense of humor were murder was the ultimate punch line. And that same monster, whose effigy now hung as a trophy in his cave, had for once in his life time seen beyond his cape and cowl, deep into his heart and soul. What a twisted turn of fate, for the Jester in his games of lies had touched the reality of the Knight's lonely heart. Looking away, Bruce started his ascend to the mansion level to fulfill his social duties.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Black sat on his luxurious desk comparing pictures of the inscription on an ancient mask to those of a half disintegrated parchment written in a language that time had forgotten when he was distracted by a knock on the door. He hurriedly gathered all the pictures and hid them from view under the desk.

"Yes?"

"Can we come in, Master?"

Black took a sigh as he set the pictures aside and went to open the door. Gabriel, wearing a ponytail on his snow white hair bowed slightly and entered the office, followed by an associate who repeated the reverence as he walked through the door.

"You look concerned." Black said locking the door behind his associates.

"I am, my Lord. When we went through the list of candidates, we agreed that the Joker didn't fit any of the criteria and his instability made him more of a hassle than an asset."

"You don't have to remind me what we talked about, Gabriel." Black snarled angrily as he walked back to his desk.

"I do understand that, sir, but with all respect…if you remembered, why is he working for us now?"

"That demented clown retrieved Nigma from the Asylum in plain daylight and through an army of police officers, MPs, the bat and his sidekicks. I expected him to be arrested and be locked away, but instead he succeeds flawlessly. Maybe, there are some uses for that psychopathic comedian after all."

"Still, sir…" Gabriel said measuring carefully his complaint. "He's crazy and extremely unpredictable."

"You're starting to sound like Crane now." Black returned the prints into the envelope and closed the lid with a tight knot. "May I remind you that with Plummet gone, our little circle is one man down? The Clown is suitable to take his place."

"But it was your idea to have Rancor take care of Plummet, wasn't it?"

"Plummet was going to find out our little secret sooner or later and then what? Go and tell Gordon…or the Bat? The idiot didn't even have an idea of the power residing inside him. All that darkness wasted away in useless humanity."

"And then the Clown is a better choice because...?" Gabriel started to say when the Black Mask pulled a gun from his jacket and aimed it at his associate's head. The thug lowered his gaze. "I regret if my concerns have upset you, Lord Black."

"What upsets me is your lack of faith, Gabriel. It's bad karma, especially when I need all your energies projected onto the success of our mission. Hope I'm not disappointing you as your first boss did?"

"No, no Black. I was just concerned of failing when we are so close to our goals… and success."

"And your concerns are noted," Black responded putting the gun away, his skeletal smile spread wide across his face. "But I assure you…everything is going according to plan and the Joker is not only a man of many talents, but also one of the darkest souls I've met. He'll do fine in our schemes. Now Gabriel, is Mr. Two-face ready for his part on this plan?"

"We've been having a problem with Mr. Dent and his…coin. Apparently the coin doesn't agree with our plans, namely Joker in the payroll, and Two-Face now wants out."

"Idiot…should have known his psychosis would be his downfall. I need that artifact retrieved tonight, before the Bat and his pig friends start putting things together."

"If you allow me to modify the original plan, I will need one of your Hunters to help cure Two-face of his distracting coin-tossing habits." Gabriel said dusting his clothes.

"That will bring a suspicion from the others." Black sealed the envelope with the pictures and looked at Gabriel. "But may be for the better. I sent forth Frykt to help you so make sure Dent is completely focused in my goals."

"What about Fries? How's he faring?"

"Anger could hinder his talent, Lord. He wants the Clown dead, but I was able to sooth his soul for now. I have no idea how long I can contain that anger with the memory of his wife. Even I have limitations, more in this form."

"We might need to influence Victor in a more direct approach. His wife is something we can use. I need my daughter Lŭgen. She'll help us with Fries."

"The Mistress of Lies? Is that wise? I don't like having so many Hunters fluttering around, Black."

"Don't concern yourself with them, they are totally loyal to their father, and even those I did not beget, know better than to challenge my brother or me at this historical moment when they can get their freedom. And since Victor speaks to his dead wife, why not have her talk back to him…on our behalf?"

Gabriel smiled. "Clever, Lord Black. She can be summoned tonight to talk to him out of his murderous mood."

"And she will convince him."

Black Mask grabbed the envelope and headed towards a large portrait on the wall behind him of a medieval town, preparing for the harvest. He slid the portrait aside to reveal a combination safe with a small key port in the middle. The gangster searched deep on the jacket of his suit and on the pockets his trousers. The smile in his face disappeared quickly to be replaced by a snarl, and his eyes started to burn with a red spark deep in the darkness of his pupils.

"Is everything alright?" The thug accompanying Gabriel finally spoke. His voice trembled as if he had broken a sacred rule when he spoke. Black set the manila envelope back on the desk and kept fumbling in the pockets of his suit.

"The key…I can't find the Dragon Key."

"Maybe it is in another jacket?"

"I'm not an idiot, Gabriel. I always carry that key with me and keys don't just disappear into thin air. Without it, I will not be able to retrieve the manuscript," Black snapped when all of a sudden he stopped searching and held to the edges of his desk, breathing heavily. The thought was absurd, but there couldn't be any other explanation. "That sneaky, demented…Gabriel, where's Joker?"


	26. Unveiling at the Gala

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's note: **_Here's the next chapter of Joker's Playmate, hope you like it. It was written with a lot of love for you all._

_But before we go to the chapter, I would like to take a moment to thank all of you out there reading...especially those that had left their reviews. Those are really appreciated. In the last chapter's reviews an anonymous fan came to the rescue with my grammar. He/she only signed with a pair of parenthesis...()...and I never thought I would say this, but those parenthesis have made all the difference. Thanks to my anonymous friend, that extended a friendly hand to the cause. The mistakes have been taken care off, and you will be happy to know that though I have a new beta for this story, your imput, reviews and comments will still be received warmly. Thanks for your help._

_All other readers...reviews are always welcome._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters are property of DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: This story contains MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS as well as some instances of SEXUAL INNUENDO and some EXPLICIT SEXUAL REFERENCES. Please, I don't mind your age, but read maturely and be properly warned. If this is not your thing, don't go on reading_

_BETA: Because my readers deserved it, I finally have found a beta for this story. Please give a warm round of applause to DOLLHOUSEDISASTER who has joined me in this little project. She has helped not only on the grammar, but also polishing the rough edges to make this story really enjoyable and she has done a terrific job. Thanks girl...I owe you one!_

_Without much delay...here is your chapter. _

**Chapter 26: Unveiling at the Gala**

Bruce ran over the stack of index cards that contained his presentation at the gala. Facts of previous accomplishments and future goals for the charity overwhelmed him. Normally he would not have any problems memorizing speeches like this, but his mind was everywhere but the gala tonight. Alfred had finished steaming the white dress shirt for the tuxedo assemble and had started fixing the monogrammed cuffs in the sleeves.

"I can't concentrate on this gala. You sure you can't tell them I got sick or something? I have work to do and I'm going to look like an idiot."

The butler went and grabbed a trio of bow ties that he tried on the shirt to select the best suited one. "You will not be the first one to read the speech from index cards sir. And I would suggest you calm down, this is not an election campaign, is just a charity gala. You'll be among friends."

"Did you give Selina an invitation?" Bruce responded

"By special courier like you requested, but she didn't know if she could make it tonight."

"Yes, and look at me, ready to talk to people I don't even know. She's probably following up the case."

"And I'm sure we can entrust her to continue your work while you take a few hours of your valuable crime fighting time to mingle with the Gothamite socialites for a good cause." Alfred took a moment to look at the shirt and bowtie assemble. "And Miss Vale will be a little late for the evening, so I arranged your date for the night."

"Arranged?" Bruce repeated absentmindedly rearranging the index cards in his hands. "I feel like I'm playing a part in a play."

"I thought it will look odd that the most wanted bachelor in the city arrives alone to the gala. I can just tell Ms. Petrova—."

"That Bruce Wayne does not want to be her date. I see that making the news, Alfred. No. I'll pretend to be someone I'm not once more. For the charities."

"Maybe that is the whole problem, Master Bruce. Stop pretending. Just be yourself and enjoy the night."

"Easier said than done. Spending the night with Helena will be okay...I guess. It's only one short night," Bruce responded, reviewing the cue cards again. He cleared his throat. "Welcome friends and thanks for joining me tonight for a cause concerned with the protection of our future generations." Wayne looked at his butler. "How does that sound…?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Selina looked longingly to the distant setting sun in the horizon. Night will be coming soon and with it the chance to get back into the night where she felt so free…and lonely. After talking to Bruce, she had realized how empty her existence had been as Catwoman, even though the sense of freedom had been irreplaceable. Was it real freedom, or just an illusion? She remembered the times her and Bruce had been together, and she felt her heart jump in her chest because, though she knew it had not worked well in the past, she did know that Bruce had…changed. She had hid her emotions in this false sense of freedom so long that she wasn't sure she could trust her heart again in a relationship.

Both their lives have been revolving around lies and deception, pretending to be who they were not, just to fit in a world that didn't understand them. And it took a demented clown to remind her of her failure…and Bruce's. This definitely did not fit her profile of the psychopath. Maybe crazy people are able to see things that normal folk missed. She smiled…yeah, like dressing up like a cat was what normal people did. Maybe she was not that different to the Clown, and neither was Bruce. She turned around and looked up at the sky where the first stars had started to twinkle timidly and thought she was going mad…there was nothing she had in common with the Joker, not in a million years, but still, loneliness had started to hurt again. Maybe it was time to change the scenery, and partying out with an old friend might be what she just needed

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker entered Mask's little hideout singing a happy tune as he carried the dry cleaner's bag over his shoulder. It had been so nice of Bone-Head to set a little cozy place in the outskirts of the city; better than having to return to old hideouts that only reminded him of a past he was anxious to forget.

When Joker entered into the main living room he noticed Jonathan Crane sitting on the sofa reading calmly a scientific magazine under the dim light of the table lamp. He just ignored him as he walked over to the large mirror on the wall by the end of the room to check the makeup he had used to try to mingle with the rest of the world tonight. _Just ignore the good doctor and keep calm for the show_, he thought to himself. He needed to keep his anger in check, especially if he wanted to impress Mask…and himself.

"You look different." Crane finally said from his seat, setting the psychiatry journal on his lap.

"It's called makeup, Jonathan. You should try it. Works miracles." Joker responded as he returned to his tune. _Ignore the gnat, ignore the gnat…just ignore the gnat._

"What are you up to Clown?"

_He's not letting go, is he? Should we kill him? _The Jester shook the thought away. No matter how attractive the idea, there was not going to be any bloodshed on his hands tonight. "None of your business, Spooky. Ask the Boss."

"You've been acting strangely ever since you got here. Calmed, in control…so much unlike you." Crane responded leaving the psychiatry journal on the chair as he rose to meet the Jester by the mirror. "When I read your psychological profile-."

"You read my profile…" Joker said stopping everything he was doing to look at Crane through the glass. Something moved inside him and he pondered if he should disembowel Crane or just wring his neck. _Calm down…relax_, he thought adjusting the purple bow under his neck "Good. Then maybe you learned something useful. Now leave me alone, Spooky. I've got work to do."

Crane adjusted his glasses. "When I finished reading your profile, I diagnosed you with repressed anger psychosis. You just BELIEVE you have a dark sense of humor, when in reality you're projecting your anger on the rest of the world while fantasizing it's a big joke so you don't have to deal with the guilt. I don't know how they could've missed that."

"Sure, Dr. Phil," Joker responded running a hand to tame the black curls of hair and checked the dark color against the mirror. No green roots were visible and he smiled complacently. He placed a pair of thick spectacles over his nose and admired his look on the mirror.

"But you are no longer angry. I can tell. "

"Crane, get out of my head."Joker hissed.

"I always believed that you needed the anger to fuel your fantasy and you refused to let it go, because this anger was the only way you could handle…whatever it was you needed to handle. And you craved that anger, because you needed it to be or feel…alive and part of a world where you would otherwise not fit. It was never suspected as you disguised your anger with a dark humor, deceiving everybody. But your anger makes you powerful, daring. Maybe if I'd-."

"Stop psychoanalyzing me." Joker warned setting the thick glasses over the table and fixing the purple vest.

"I'm just trying to understand the reasons that would've made you join Mask and the rest of us. We are going to get rich beyond imagination if this deal goes through, but I know you don't care about money. You're a selfish, arrogant, insane, angry clown who doesn't play well with others and I don't think you like Mask either."

"And you do? In case you missed the last meeting, nobody likes the walking corpse." The Jester opened the garment bag and set his black tuxedo aside. "Especially, Dent. Oh…Twoffers was pissed."

"Dent is jealous of anybody who threatens his newly found power, but you I can't read. You've radically changed, right after you had captured the Batman. I wonder if there's a correlation."

Joker didn't even think about it. He swirled around and thrust his fist squarely into Crane's jaw, sending the psychiatrist to the floor and his glasses out of sight behind the sofa. The Jester's eyes narrowed and his lips pulled down, in a grotesque expression of pure hatred.

"Sensitive subject, I see," Crane said through a swollen lip. "Your real psychosis IS with the Bat, isn't it?"

"The Bat is just a toy that has become old and worn. Black offers me a new toy, actually a whole menagerie of them and I took him to his word."

"You're a bad liar, Joker. You have something else in that twisted head of yours and it will screw us all in the process." Crane looked at the blood from his lip.

"And what brought you here, Spooks? Because I doubt it was just Black's beautiful face."

"My motives…."

"I don't care about what moves the straw inside your head, Crane. Just let me have fun, OK?"

"You're risking my money, Joker. You're unpredictable…and dangerous."

"And funny. Now, let's find out if you're really made out of straw…." Joker chuckled as he jumped on the psychiatrist, pinning him under his weight. Retrieving a small flamethrower lighter from his pocket the Jester turned the flame up as high as half a foot and just an inch from Crane's face. The psychiatrist pushed away the lighter with all his might when he felt his sideburns beginning to singe. Joker laughed maniacally, until the psychiatrist thrust his fist against the Clown's nose, which gave with a cracking noise. The Jester let go of the lighter and stopped laughing, pulling back in pain with blood pouring from his nostrils. Jonathan stood quickly and kicked the kneeling Clown sending him against the coffee table, then pulled a knife from his pocket.

"No, let's better see how many slices it takes to get to the sweet center of a dead clown," Jonathan hissed. At that moment the door opened and Black Mask entered followed closely by six of his associates, including Gabriel who stood beside the gangster.

"I hope there's an explanation for this, gentlemen!" Mask growled staring at Joker who was cleaning his bloody nose with a bright lime green handkerchief.

"He started it." Crane said with blood dripping from his lower lip as he pointed at the Clown. "I told you he was unpredictable."

"Well, if you wouldn't have tried to kiss me, Jonathan…" Joker responded pursing his lips as if giving kisses.

"What?" The Psychiatrist snapped as he lunged with the knife tight in his hand before he was stopped by one of Mask men, who with a twist of the wrist quickly disarmed him.

"Don't deny it, Crane. You can't stop thinking about me." The clown's lips parted in a wide toothy smile.

"I'm going to rip that stupid smile off your face, Joker."

"Enough you two!" Black blasted as he picked up the Jester's lighter from the floor. As he pressed the trigger, and a foot long flame glowed with a bright bluish shade. Mask turned the lighter off and put it away in a pocket. "I need you to behave like grown men, unless you see fit I find someone else to fill your places."

"Don't look at me. I was getting ready for work," Joker responded pointing at his tuxedo by the mirror, "Now have to retouch this costume and makeup."

"So you can look pretty for the Bat?" Crane retorted with a cynical smile.

"No, I'm getting ready to meet your mother and she promised we'll practice the horizontal mambo all night long." Joker snapped back at the psychiatrist with a forward thrust of his hips.

"I SAID…ENOUGH!" Black growled, making both Joker and Crane retreat a few paces. The gangster didn't remove his eyes from the Jester who seemed bothered by the sudden attention. "You can settle your differences some other time, now I need to have a little talk with you, Clown."

"Any beauty tips I can help you with, Boss?" Joker jested around.

"No. Just want to know if you have something that belongs to me?" Mask aimed his gun at Joker's head. The Jester did not flinch, but stared angrily at the barrel.

"Mmm. I don't think a hole in my head will go well with my evening attire."

"No, but it will solve a little problem I have. Have you seen my keys?"

"Though that's a nice machine you got parked back there, I swear I didn't take your Audi for a spin, Blackie." The Jester chuckled.

"Your humor is starting to annoy me. I'm not playing, Joker. I want my keys."

"Oh, you're in trouble now, Clown." Crane purred softly with a large grin on his face as he retreated to the exit. "I think I'm leaving."

"Hold on, doctor. I'm sure this is something you have been dying to see. I'm waiting Joker."

"Why is it that people like to blame me for everything? Gordon, the Bat…YOU!"

"You had your hands all over me before, Joker. Including…" Mask started to explain when he noticed the strange look Crane, Gabriel and his men were giving him. There was no need to go into the details. "Told you your ego gets in the way of your genius, but I think I also misread your intentions. My bad. Now my keys…please."

"OK, Skeletor…I've had enough. If you think I've got the keys, then search me, but you will also have to search everybody in this room including your albino ape and his friends." Joker extended his arms wide. "Come on, be my guest."

"You might not have them with you now…"

"JUST…SEARCH ME!" Joker roared as he advanced fearlessly towards Mask and his gun. "And you can search my coat and toys in next room too."

Black motioned to Gabriel, who started searching the Joker's suit and once finished, he shook his head. Another of Sionis' men entered the room and reported a similar negative result from Joker's other belongings.

"Where did you put them?" Masked warned putting the barrel of his gun centimeters from the Clown's face.

"What, you could not find them? Surprise, surprise. Guess I didn't take them after all." Joker huffed. "Now it's time to search your whole boys club. One of them has it when you find who does, you and I will have a little chat…of the unfriendly kind." Joker motioned towards the white haired associate. "He's next."

"Why would I-?" Gabriel protested when Mask order him silent. One of the thugs searched Gabriel, and he and the white haired associate searched everybody else. No keys.

"Satisfied?"

"No Blackie, you're next…they're probably in the wrong pocket of your Armani."

Crane got concerned when he saw angry the look in the gangster's face. "Can I leave now?"

"I don't have the keys…" Mask snarled, "That's the whole point of the argument."

"Crane's next…and then Penguin, Dent and his two friends, and the voluptuous Ms. Isley. She has places to hide those keys. Places you can get lost in..."

"Lair!" Everybody looked at the psychiatrist. "I don't have them, Black."

"Don't worry, Jonathan…Skeletor probably left his keys inside the pants he sent to the laundromat." Joker said glaring angrily at the gangster as he reclined on the wall beside the mirror.

"But I don't have them…" the psychiatrist protested as he saw Mask's two thugs approaching him menacingly. "Really. Never seen them. Don't even know what they look like-."

"Then you have nothing to fear, Dr. Crane. Gabriel, please search the good doctor." Sionis never stopped pointing the gun at the Jester.

Mask's associates started searching the psychiatrist thoroughly, investigating every pocket in his clothes. From one of the back pockets, Gabriel pulled an old rusted key in a beautifully sculpted key ring with two interlaced dragons. Black Mask looked back at the Jester who still glared at him silently from where he stood. He then glared at the psychiatrist.

"It's a shame Doctor," Mask finally said, lowering his gun. "You, of all people."

"I don't know how that got in there, I swear Black. I didn't take them."

"We'll have a little chat about that. Gabriel, please have Dr. Crane escorted to my office."

"You were going to shoot me for the keys," Joker protested, "and you want to have a chat with him? That's not fair."

"You…were being stubborn, arrogant, and very annoying," Black responded, breathing heavily, "I was angry, and-. You're right, I owe you an apology."

"That's it? I've killed for lamer excuses." Joker combed his black curly mane with a hand and looked away as they dragged a complaining Scarecrow to Mask's office by two large thugs.

"I… I normally don't apologize. That should be enough."

"Not necessarily. Because when you lose your glasses, you'll probably blame those on me too!"

Black studied Joker intensely. "I can pay you a generous amount…for all your trouble. Will that satisfy you?"

Joker for the first time smiled. "Oh, Blackie, you know that it's not money what moves me to do what I do, but the chance to be part of a great show. The laughter of this city as it slowly dies is music to my ears…"

"You're sick."

"True, but why does everybody forget I'm funny too? It's my sex appeal." Joker cackled. "And if you really want to make it up to me, you can lend me that albino friend of yours for the party tonight."

"Gabriel?"

Joker shrugged and smiled maliciously. "What can I say? I need a dancing partner and Gabriel here tickled my funny bone when he searched my pants. I really like him."

"But I don't like you!" Gabriel spurted out.

"The more reason to get well acquainted." Mask said while Gabriel glared at his boss."Sure, why not. He's my best man. You don't mind helping, right Gabriel? Do it for me…no, for us."

The thug's eyes shifted nervously between Black and the now smiling clown. Black lowered his gaze, snickering softly as he left the room. He murmured something intelligibly to the thug's ear and let out a chuckle as he exited.

"Whatever… 'boss' ."

"Oh joy!" Joker clapped happily. "Now Gab, please go and meet my boys next door, they will bring you up to date with the plan for the night. I have to retouch this stupid makeup before we go." The Jester waved a hand effusively. "See ya in a while…my albino crocodile."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The party was way under way when Bruce Wayne made his entrance into the room, holding hands with a beautiful young brunette that seemed dazzled by the millionaire's presence beside her. All the looks where on him, as he made his way through the main ballroom, and he hated each one of them, for he knew that they were just taking note of things to gossip in the socialite circles. He nodded politely at the Commissioner of police that approached him.

"Good evening, Mr. Wayne. I thought we would miss the host tonight."

"Traffic was horrible tonight after I picked up…" Bruce motioned to the girl beside him.

"Ms. Helena Petrova. Nice to make your acquaintance, Commissioner," she responded with a gentle bow.

"Petrova…the lead dancer of the Russian Ballet?"

"Yes," Helena beamed. "Have you been to the Russian Ballet?"

"Well, yes," Gordon responded glancing at Wayne who was looking away as if searching for someone in the crowd, "A few years ago and I enjoyed it very much."

Helena smiled. "I vill try to get you some entrance tickets for the show this weekend, it is our grand finale."

"I really appreciate that, thank you." At that time, a thin tall man with thick spectacles snapped a picture of the trio, dazzling them with the sudden flash. Bruce tried to see who had shot the camera flash that almost blinded him, but all he could see was a tall man in a black tuxedo and a purple vest covered in a million white spots of light.

"Ms. Petrova, I'm with the Times," the young man announced with a large smile on his face. The thick glasses in his face distorted the bright green eyes behind them, "would you mind if I ask you a few questions for our celebrity column?"

The dancer looked at Wayne, her eyes pleading for a few moments with the press. The millionaire smiled shyly at her and then at the spectacled photographer who was getting ready to snap another picture of them. Bruce put a hand over the reporter's camera and smiled politely. The photographer took the hint and set the camera down.

"It's okay, Helena. I need to take care of a few things. I'll be with you in a moment."

Bruce saw the photographer take Petrova away to a secluded corner of the room when his attention was attracted by two of the waiters that seemed to be pacing around the room aimlessly with their trays of canapés high into the air. The Commissioner's cell phone rang. Gordon was quick in answering, while his face changed to a dark gloomy expression. The Commissioner finally put his phone away and the look of concern was obvious in the old man's face.

"Mr. Wayne, there is an emergency I need to tend to. I'm sorry. I'd love to stay but—"

"I understand, sir. Duty calls." Both men shook hands, and Bruce took the drink from the Commissioner's hand. Gordon turned and left towards the foyer and the entrance, when Wayne tried to have one of the waiters pacing the room to take his glass. No one seemed interested in stopping by him. Bruce noticed he was not the only guest ignored in the room.

The millionaire then saw his butler admonishing some of the younger waiters and followed an angry Alfred enter the kitchen after a young ash blond waiter with an empty tray in his hands. Once there, he noticed the butler speaking sternly to the young man, no older than twenty-five, who was fixing his uniform pants that had started to sag.

"Be polite and greet everybody with a gentle bow, it's not that hard," Alfred said to the waiter, "Carry the tray like it's an offering, not a clump of dirty laundry, and watch that uniform."

"Yesssir!"

"Good, now go and do another round of hors d'oeurvres. Then come back here." The boy exited quickly out of the kitchen, a look of embarrassment on the young face as he passed by Wayne.

"Is everything alright, Alfred?" Bruce said setting the glasses he carried on the kitchen counter.

"It could be better if they would teach these young men how to serve properly. I expected experienced waiters from the agency, and instead I get…" the butler pointed to the boy that had left, "…them. Guess I should be thankful that those kids have a job and are not on the streets, giving you trouble at night."

Bruce's smiled but it was short lived. "Gordon had to leave…he said it was an emergency."

Alfred eyed Wayne suspiciously. "I hope the host is not planning on leaving the party prematurely."

"It could be important, Alfred." Wayne fidgeted where he stood. "He looked concerned."

"I understand, but your absence will be hard to explain, especially before your speech." Alfred sighed as another waiter entered the kitchen. "Maybe that's something the other young masters will be happy to look into. I'll give them a call if you want."

"You're probably right. Yes. Is there anything else I could do to help here?"

"No, its fine. Leave these details to me. You enjoy the night, and please get out of my kitchen." Alfred pushed the millionaire out the door and into the conglomerate of people in the room that seemed to have doubled in number since he left…five minutes ago. Then he remembered how large crowds have always made him feel, like a stranger…this time, in his own home. Words came back to his memory… _'Do you feel alone in a room full of people?'_ Words spoken by someone he had believed in, over his instincts, but that now he knew spoke out of a twisted mind in an insane turmoil of madness and violence.

He walked deeper into the room, when he was greeted by the governor, who congratulated him on the success of the foundation's record donations this year. Bruce exchanged some more words with the governor when Stratton left to meet with other group of investors. Stratton was always hunting support for his political career. Wayne then bumped into an old friend.

"Seems like a lovely night," Vicky Vale said, with a sweet smile on her face that could melt any heart. "even if Alfred runs you out of the kitchen and all…"

He looked back at her focusing on those beautiful green eyes. "You saw?"

Vicky nodded. "Was hard to miss. That's Alfred's castle and you should know better."

"Just wanted to lend a hand. The help tonight doesn't look too…experienced," Bruce said as he reached over to grab a glass of wine from a passing waiter that didn't even slow down for a second, "did you see that?"

"Yeah, but they're young too."

"That's what Alfred says too, but still. Serving is not rocket science." He said sipping his drink. "He'll put them in line." They both laughed. "I heard you would be late for the gala."

"Yes, they found Galindo's body floating in the river. Went to cover the news and it was not pretty."

"Any playing cards…?" Bruce asked lowering his gaze. He felt that he should have been there investigating the crime scene instead of here at a party he didn't feel comfortable in.

"None, but you know that doesn't mean anything. He probably had a lot of fun with him…like his nurse at the apartment. There were no cards there either." Vicky made a pause as Bruce nodded silently. "I saw your date for the party…I'm impressed."

"Oh, that one…it was a last minute thing." Bruce chuckled. "If it would have been up to me, I wouldn't even be here…heh…even forgot about the gala altogether with all that was going on."

"Still busy with your…work?"

"Extremely. There are still a lot of loose ends there." Bruce responded absentmindedly looking as a pair of waiters almost literally ran with their trays between the guests. "And something must've happened. Gordon left in a hurry."

"I noticed, and you're still here. It must be really hard to be…normal," Vicky looked at the crowd and noticed the white haired waiter with the empty tray that disappeared towards the kitchen. The man, in his mid thirties, looked like he meant business and the only one who knew his craft. "I haven't seen Dick or Tim tonight."

"They're at work. It'll be fine."

"How are things going with them? Last you told me, things were…tense."

Bruce shrugged. "I haven't spoken to Dick, but Tim is, well…Tim. Things are okay, and we just need time to cool down."

"Bruce," she said when she noticed Bruce looking over another group of waiters serving by the fireplace. Those waiters seemed more concerned on moving around fast than actually serving.

"There is something wrong…" He responded looking back at her. Vicky was holding her head with her hand. "You okay?"

"Just a little lightheaded," she chuckled. "Guess I had too much to drink already…"

As she finished the sentence, people started falling to the ground. The Governor and his wife first, followed by the Major and his. Soon beside him Vicky fainted and he hardly had time to catch her before she hit the floor. There was something really wrong here, and he could feel getting lightheaded after only one sip of his drink. He crashed the glass against the floor and holding his breath, he stumbled towards the kitchen, skipping motionless guests on the floor. By the dishwasher, a group of waiters had gathered around an unconscious butler.

"Mr. Wayne, a picture for the Times…" A voice came from behind. Bruce turned when he was blinded by a bright flash of light. He pushed the photographer away with all his might when he felt an immobilizing pain in his neck that forced him to the floor. The last thing he saw was a dark something coming at him and suddenly, the left side of his face was in fire and everything went black. Voices were still around him, but distant and reverberating like the echo inside a cavern. One among them, came clear in a falsetto he remembered from somewhere in his past. "Did you see how he pushed me? The brat…Take the rich boy to the showroom and make him comfy…and he's going to pay for this camera…my tux…my health insurance…my…." Then the voices stopped and he drifted into unconsciousness.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Hello there…anybody home?" Bruce heard the voice in the falsetto again, at the same time someone tapped hard on his forehead. The left side of his face was numb and he felt dizzy, but he had started to regain control of his muscles that he tested against what felt like tight binds locking his hands and feet in place. He opened his eyes and a large face, smiling wide, started to come into focus. Bruce blinked a few times before he could identify his interloper….the Times photographer at the ballroom. The photographer's green eyes seemed to look at him from behind his thick pair of glasses with mirth.

"Who….who are you?"

"Tonight's entertainment," the photographer answered with a childish giggle. _That voice…NO…it can't be him_.

"Let me go," Bruce snarled fighting the binds. He was not going to be the Joker's plaything tonight.

"There's no use, Brucie. You're not getting out of those knots tonight. Gosh, you millionaires can be so bratty…." The photographer took off his thick glasses and put them away with a sigh of relief. "Oh, and look what your face did to my camera. That was a brand new Nikkon." Joker started to laugh madly.

"You hit me with the camera." Bruce hissed.

"I don't care. You ARE the millionaire…you pay for it." Joker chuckled and held a piece of his lapel dangling down his pocket. "And you ripped my tux too."

Bruce looked around and immediately recognized he was in the armory room, where he kept a vast collection of ancient armors and weapons along with a large set of ceremonial masks from all over the world. He found this place strange for a meeting with the Clown, especially when there were more valuable things inside the house. But then, the Jester was anything but usual in the way he behaved. He pulled again against the ropes restricting him on the chair he sat on. Maybe if he loosened up those knots a little, he might have a chance.

"What you want?" Bruce snapped behind gritted teeth.

The Jester walked over to a large South Pacific straw armor encased in glass and smiled. "Wearing that would make me itch…even in places I didn't know I could itch. Interesting collection of war toys from a man concerned with helping his fellow man. You are a man of contradictions, Brucie."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Bruce snarled. The Joker in exchange stared at him intently.

"Bring me the girl," the man said calmly to one of his henchmen while he looked back at Bruce with a large toothy grin. "If you knew who I was, you'd know screaming at me is not a good thing to do. It makes me…very angry."

Bruce saw as they dragged a half asleep Helena Petrova, with hands tied to her back. He tensed against the binds, wishing he could wring the Clown's neck and took a deep breath trying to calm himself. He could easily take over the Jester and his thugs as Batman, but tonight he was not Batman…just Bruce Wayne. He would have to wait for a better opportunity to turn the tables, without looking suspicious. _Pretend._ Time to play his role as millionaire playboy a little longer.

"Listen, I'll buy you three more cameras, one hundred tuxedos and give you all the money you want. Just please…let her go."

"Oh, Brucie…you're really a softy for the skirts," The Clown chuckled. "Since we're in the cooperative mood, I'll make it cheap for you. Maybe you want to tell me where you keep a mask like the one my colorless friend is holding."

Gabriel glared at the clown and advanced a few feet carrying an old wooden mask with an opening for three eyes and a fanged mouth. Bruce looked at the white haired man, and then back at the Joker.

"I don't know what you're talking about. That's the only one."

"This is a reproduction. The real one has an inscription inside." Gabriel said. "And I know you have the original."

"Yes, the one that doesn't say _'Made in Indonesia'_," Joker added with a giggle as he walked over to the ballerina, unsheathing his .38 special which he put against the terrified girl's chin. "Maybe you can talk him into telling us, eh sweetheart?" Petrova started to speak in Russian between desperate sobs.

"JOKER, NO…PLEASE!" Bruce yelled when Joker looked back at him. His green emerald eyes opened in surprise. "Please…don't…"

"So you KNOW, who I am…I'm impressed, Brucie. What gave me away? My beautiful smile…or the bullet I'm going to put in your girlfriend's head?" The Clown moved a step away from the Petrova, aimed and fired. Helena screamed and fainted as a large red and yellow banner sprang from the Joker's gun and hung inches from her face. The Jester busted into a frantic laughter, holding the gun and it's banner like a flag and Petrova fainted. Bruce remained unmoving, his eyes boiled with anger behind blue irises.

"HA! They don't make ballerinas like they used to." Joker said busting into another round of laughter.

Once the Joker calmed down, and his laughter had subsided, he looked around only to realize he had been the only one laughing. Instead everybody looked at him like he was some type of alien. With one languid chuckle, the Jester pulled the banner from the barrel and put the gun away. He peeled the mask from Gabriel's hand and walked over to the playboy millionaire.

"You are a tough crowd," Joker said aloud, kneeling beside Wayne. "And you, my dear boy are the hardest of them all. Now tell me where's the mask…please? This is starting to lose its fun."

Bruce just stared at him angrily, forcing Joker to look down at the mask in his hand. There was something in the strength of those angry blue eyes that forced the Jester to look away. Joker tried to smile, but to no avail. There was nothing funny now. He took the mask and pressed it against the millionaire's face and for a second he took a glance of the blue eyes behind the blackness of the mask. Eyes he knew and that had spoken to him in the past. Eyes he could read like the pages of a newspaper, and that had opened a door to the soul of a man he had always considered his twin.

"It's you…" Joker let up in a soft almost imperceptible whisper. Then his face lighted, like a boy in Christmas day, looking at all the wonders under the tree and not knowing where to start unwrapping. Behind him, Gabriel approached, gun in hand as Bruce fought out of the mask. The thug pulled his gun and pressed it hard against Wayne's face.

"I'm tired of playing this stupid game Joker. I'll show you how this is done. Where's the mask Wayne?"

"Gabriel stop…" Joker hissed.

"You're just wasting our time here. I want the mask Mr. Wayne and you're going to give it to me or you die. Or maybe you want us to start with your girlfriend."

For a second time today Joker didn't think, but instead, let his anger take over as he smashed the fake mask on Gabriel's face, knocking him to the ground. The thug moaned on the floor as the rest of the gang just stared frozen in place unsure as what to do.

"He told me I could play with the millionaire, and play with the boy I will!" Joker snarled. "If you have a problem with that, drop dead, 'cause you're playing this one according to my rules and I say BACK OFF the brat!"

"I don't think you have any idea who you're talking to, mortal, but I don't take orders from you or your kind." Gabriel growled as he reached for his gun. Joker fired his .38 hitting the thug in the hand that started to bleed profusely. Joker walked over as Gabriel put pressure on his wounded hand. The look on the Jester's face was an angry one rather than the perverse delight that normally he felt as he inflicted pain on someone else. He knelt and picked on the droplets of blood from Gabriel's wound and painted a smile on the thug's pale face.

"You need to smile more often Gab. It helps ease the pain, take it from me." Joker rose from the floor and dusted his tuxedo. "And I think your psychosis is worse than mine. Now go and check the guests at the ballroom if you think you can accomplish that simple task. Then we'll have a little talk."

Gabriel glared at the Clown and after pulling a large engraved knife from his tuxedo, he lunged after him. Joker swung with the agility of a dancer, trying to avoid the approaching blade. Gabriel was lucky enough to slice the fabric on the Jester's sleeve, before the Clown kicked him to the floor. The white haired man growled as he got ready to attack once more and Joker fired his gun, hitting Gabriel dead end between his eyes. The thug hit the floor hard and dark blood started to pool underneath him on the floor. An eerie silence filled the room.

"Oops!" Joker finally said, holding the gun tight in his hand where Bruce noticed the obvious shaking in the Jester's hand. "Definitely NOT the way I had planned this."

The other four thugs in the room with him couldn't help but look among themselves. Lou was there, in the minority, with three of Gabriel's associates beside him and he realized that hell was about to get loose. He quickly reached for his weapon when he saw the Clown slapping on the gun in his hand. The other thugs looked confused and more concerned when Joker started talking to his gun.

"Bad gun, bad gun!" The Jester said dropping his .38 special on the floor and stepped on it angrily. "Why do you have to spoil the fun? WHY, WHY, WHY?" Joker took a moment to look at the men in the room. "I…I didn't…DAMN! Could you guys give me a moment alone? Take the girl, go and check on the other guests or whatever. I need to fix this..."

"We need the mask before we go." One of Gabriel's associates said when Joker glared angrily at him.

"You'll have your mask, but I NEED TO BE ALONE NOW!" Lou started towards the door. The other thugs just stared at each other. "What're you waiting for? LEAVE!"

Silently, all the remaining men left the room leaving the Clown alone with the millionaire tied on the chair. Joker started pacing nervously between exhibits, murmuring to himself. Bruce just followed the Jester with his eyes, while he started to work on the knots that held him tight on the chair. Taking on the Clown alone was going to be a lot easier than taking on him and his entourage of thugs, but he had to do it fast, because this maniac was quickly loosing it. Wayne was startled when Joker lunged at him, stopping only inches from his face, staring into his blue orbs intensely.

"YOU SAW I WAS PROVOKED, RIGHT?!" Joker asked, his eyes glistening as if tears were pooling under those emeralds. "I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL HIM, HE JUST…" the Jester took a deep breath and his voice trailed off as he looked at Gabriel's body."He just left me no option. It was him or me."

Bruce remained silent, not sure how he should answer that. Joker went on. "Oh come on, Bats. I've tried really hard. Didn't kill anybody at the asylum or your party, have I? I was just…I don't know. I just reacted."

Wayne eyed the Clown suspiciously. "Excuse me?"

"What's wrong with you, Bats? You're not fooling me. I know it is you under that expensive tuxedo and stupid look of surprise in your face. I would recognize those baby blues anywhere in the whole world, especially under a mask."


	27. Through the Looking Glass

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's note: ** This past month has been full of all type of incidents both good, bad and others to which I don't give a penny for but that still took part of my time to write. Still, I managed to squeeze another chapter for your enjoyment, because you all deserve it for your always kind support for my work. To tell you the truth, this story has had more turns than a screw, and though I know where it is heading (for now), there is still the question...how do I get there? It is that what makes this story so much fun to write, and I hope that you welcome it with the same warmth and care that I have put on it. As always, I plea for your opinion on the chapter so reviews are welcomed and encouraged. Without much delay.._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and other related character are property of DC COMICS and I don't make any money from this._

_DISCALIMER 2: There will be ADULT language and SITUATION as some sexual content. Please be warned_

_BETA: I have to bow to the wonderful DOLLHOUSEDISASTER for lending a hand BETA-ing this project. I am in her debt for doing such a wonderful job at polishing the rough edges. _

_**Chapter 27: Through the Looking Glass**_

"Look, I just want you out of my house…" Bruce said trying to sound scared and concerned. Hiding his anger had never been an easy task, especially in front of his enemies and especially in front of _him_. "The police-."

"SHUT UP! The police are not coming and you can stop pretending to be Bruce Wayne. I saw it in your eyes, Bats. I saw beyond the tuxedo." The Jester ripped the playboy's shirt to reveal two parallel scars in his chest amidst a few others he remembered too well. He ran two fingers along the path of roughened skin, remembering when he had made those fresh wounds. "And I can see beyond the scars too. My signature, remember?"

Bruce remained silent. It was useless to deny what for Joker was now a fact: Bruce Wayne was Batman. It was knowledge he didn't need in his enemies' hands but there was nothing he could do to prove the Clown wrong now. He glanced down at Gabriel's body still bleeding on the floor.

The Jester glanced at the body and grimaced. "He's gonna be so pissed when he finds out…" Taking off the jacket from his tuxedo he tried unsuccessfully to conceal the whole body under it.

"Who?" Batman asked.

"What do you mean who...didn't you get my memo? The cards, the confetti?" Joker walked over back to Bruce, hands gesticulating wildly in front of him. "You must have it all deduced by now. You're the greatest detective in the whole wide world, no?"

Wayne's eyes narrowed. "Was Galindo part of the memo too?"

"Now wait a minute," Joker drew a smile by running his fingers over his mouth. "I didn't kill Galindo. He was handed to me like that… no smile and in a box."

"Which you had no problem delivering." Bruce snarled.

"That's not the issue. The cards…the confetti…my leads. Those are the issue," Joker said with childish insistence. He then dropped his gaze and started rubbing his hands nervously together. "You didn't understand them, did you? Because you couldn't see beyond the green hair, the white skin or this ghastly smile. So you missed the clues I sent you."

"You said you've changed, but your acts speak differently." Bruce said motioning with his head towards the corpse in the floor. "What are you doing here, who sent you?"

"You're not being fair. It hurts." Joker responded with a soft purr as he knelt in front of the playboy and ran a tender hand down along the chiseled face. It was like feeling a masterful piece of art and absorbing the supernatural energy of the marble.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Bruce pulled away severing the connection with the white silky hands.

Joker slapped the millionaire and held tightly to the two fists that started to pull against the binds. He leaned over until his face was just an inch from his target, close enough for Bruce to smell the perfume the Clown wore...Tommy Hillfinger. Joker's tastes were never cheap.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that…again," the Jester said looking deep into the icy blue eyes in front of him. "Not after what I've shared with you…what I've made you feel."

"Nothing happened. I felt nothing. It was all in your imagination."

"I told you about my pain, my loneliness," Joker cupped Bruce's crotch in his hands and massaged gently. "And was this part of my volatile imagination too?"

Bruce felt the pressure on his testicles and his member. Memories of what the Joker did to him in the cellar flashed through his mind and without being able to hold, he felt himself become aroused. His member started to throb under the pressure through his pants. _NO…Not here, not like this…What is wrong with me?_

"What…what are you trying to prove?" Bruce said between gritted teeth, trying to control his body.

"That you're trying to deny what you're body has already accepted as fact, Bruce. Stop thinking and start feeling . You can feel me, can't you? Can't see I'm trying to help you here?"

"All I can see is bodies piling up," Bruce sneered. "And the Joker in the middle of it all."

"NO!" The Jester leaned closer to the playboy's earlobe. Warm air caressed the sensitive skin as Joker whispered softly. "It's me, Jack."

"Jack, Joker, maniac, murderer, psychopath. Same thing. And I said…GET OFF ME!" Bruce jerked his head violently hitting the Joker on the face. Startled, the Jester fell back and blood trickled from his nose and the corner of his mouth as he cursed under his breath.

The Joker slapped him again, this time harder, drawing blood from Wayne's lip. Joker sampled the blood on the millionaire's face then licked the blood on his very own lips sighing with almost masochistic delight.

"Jack. The human being who wanted to be completed by the man under the cowl. The man fighting this thing inside me you hate so much." Joker rose and started to pace around frantically, combing his dark hair with his hands. "Oh Bats of all people I thought you would've understood what I have been trying to do."

Bruce spit blood on the floor beside him. "And what is that?"

Joker spun and a playing card appeared almost magically in his hand. He tossed the card with all his might against the glass curio containing the wicker armor and the glass came crashing down, knocking the whole array off the mannequin. Straw and leather lay scattered at the bottom of the exhibit. The Jester stood still, huffing and puffing while glaring at the millionaire, and angrily pulled a purple handkerchief which he used to clean the blood dried on his lip.

Bruce took a moment to examine armor on the floor. "You need to do something with that temper of yours."

"Really? An I think you need do something about trusting people." Joker responded cynically crossing his arms over his chest.

"Give me one reason to trust you. Why do this if you really wanted to change? I don't understand you."

Joker pressed an angry finger against his chest. "This was planned to a tee. Nobody was supposed to get hurt. NO ONE! Now look, a dead albino."

"So this was your idea, 'Jack'?"

"Of course…I mean, no. It's complicated." Joker walked over to Wayne eyeing the corpse on the floor. "Look, just give me the mask? They know you have it, and if you give it peacefully, I will not have to hurt anybody else. Easy enough. Then I can make something up to fool Black. I am good at making things up."

"I don't doubt it. Black behind this? Impossible. Black is dead, Joker."

"Oh no, he's not, believe me." Joker shook his head. "I gave you leads. Halloween…Scarecrow? Two Face, Poison Ivy… it was all in the cards!"

_Leads? What is he talking about? _Bruce thought. "Who sent you here? Who is this albino?"

"No, first give me the mask. Prove me you are able to trust me otherwise this is a waste of time." Joker's eyes glinted in the high lamps in the ceiling above. The look on his face was one between anger, frustration and something more. Something Bruce had never thought he would see on the Jester…fright. What got this Clown so scared?

Bruce looked into the two angry emeralds in the Jester's face. This was going to be a stalemate. Neither he nor the Clown would let down their guard. He knew who the Joker was: a murderer who enjoying taking the lives of innocent people for the fun of it, but he insisted that he had changed, that he was…a different man. So different that he preferred to still use a name that time had forgotten. A name he knew Joker associated with his past, his pain.

"Not until you tell me what you need it for." Bruce responded

Joker growled and lunged to grab Wayne's face between his hands. Bruce felt the force in those long hands as the Jester tried to snap his neck, but something there prevented the Clown from finishing the goal drawn in his angry face. Joker leaned forward and let his lips brush against Wayne's. They were cold as a glacier, dry like the Gobi and the sweet nectar he had savored before was gone leaving now an insipid feeling in his lips.

"I have no clue. It is Blackie who wants it and I have to show up for it. This guy here…is just one of Black's men. Please Bats, just give it to me." Joker sighed. "You were able to forgive for what I did to your partner…or did I imagine that too?" The Jester's voice was as soft as a whisper and the tone dim and tremulous like that of a scolded child.

"No, that…that was real." Bruce conceded with an air of defeat. "And I told you this can't be the real Black Mask. Think, this has to be a new guy wearing the mask."

"You have to believe me. This IS THE REAL BLACK as absurd as it sounds. You have to trust me…one more time. Can you?" Bruce narrowed his eyes, trying to read the Jester's green eyes. "Bruce, stop thinking and start feeling. You have a heart in there, use it. What does it tell you?"

"That you are a psychopath…" Bruce hissed when he was surprised by another slap. "STOP THAT!"

"No, you're just repeating my dossier from the Asylum. I want you to forget all that, remember what we have shared and listen deeper." Joker caressed the messed black mane of hair of the playboy and pressed a finger against the parallel scars on Bruce's broad chest. "You have to believe I am on your side. Can you do that?"

Bruce closed his eyes. For once in his life, he didn't know what to do. To trust this monster could be the greatest mistake of his life, but then this man did not behave like the deranged maniac he had dealt with before. Could he really have changed or was this one more of his sick games? This would require a leap of faith that he was not sure he could make.

"The wall where Gabriel pulled the mask from," Bruce started to say with a knot forming in his throat. This was going against everything he believed in. "If you push the base that held the mask into the wall, it opens a small compartment underneath where I keep the original."

Joker smiled, kissed Bruce on the forehead and silently turned back to the wall with the mask collection reaching for the empty stand on the top. With some effort, he pushed it in all the way and like the millionaire had said, a small compartment opened to reveal the original within the wall. He grabbed the mask in his hands and his eyes sparkled of joy, like a boy finding a treasured item in a scavenger hunt.

"That's my part of the deal…now it's your turn."

"Black is organizing a Bad Boys Club and has invited twelve rogues. Remember the cards I left at the Asylum? Two face, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow.-?"

"Jack, Black is-."

"Dead I know, but you have to trust me. I know my Skeletor well and he is the same guy and then he is different. There is this dark thing about him and I don't think he showers because he has a very strong BO, like rotten eggs."

"Why does he need the mask?" Bruce asked the Jester who simply shrug as he shook his head.

"He didn't tell me and don't think I didn't ask. He just said he needed it. Blackie is searching for a treasure hidden somewhere and he needs these…clues to get at it. The mask might be one of them."

"Then it is better if I keep it. Need to study it, find its secret."

"And I am in more trouble because I have a dead albino to explain. No, I'll keep it and I'ill keep you posted. You go back over my clues. More will follow."

"You got Nigma. What role he plays in this?"

"Don't know…but I'm trying to find out, really." Joker said when he heard a commotion from the ballroom. He ran a gloved hand along the chiseled chin of his opponent. "Now have to go. God, you look good all tied up in ropes."

Lou came running to stop abruptly against the door frame startling the Jester.

"Boss, we got trouble, Catwoman is in the mansion. She's taking them all down one by….OWWWW!" Lou shrieked in pain as the whip hit his back. He rushed into the armory and ran behind the Joker when the slender figure of the Catwoman appeared at the door fully costumed and swinging her whip menacingly.

"Well, well, well, look what that wet dog brought in," Selina said with a smirk as she entered the armory. Joker started to back off slowly, hands comfortably inside the pockets of his pants. "Didn't know the circus was in town. I hate circuses…so many caged animals."

"But I heard the clown shows were still funny," Joker retorted with a chuckle.

She glanced over to where Wayne was tied. "Is kidnapping millionaire entrepreneurs a new routine, Clown?

"No, but losing a few pounds could make you feel better under all that leather. Looks tight, darling." Jester said cynically, adjusting his vest which made Selina hiss venomously. "Now if you don't mind, I have important things to attend to. Brucie, tell your pet cat to get off the Clown and go play with her catnip."

"Catwoman, don't let him go!—" Bruce said, fighting against his binds as his left hand was almost out of the armrest. He wanted to tell her so bad that he was fine, but how to do that without giving away what Joker knew now about him? She wouldn't understand and he could not afford to lose Joker again, before getting some more answers.

"You got some nerve, Joker…" Catwoman growled as she swayed her whip dangerously by her.

"And you got fashion issues. This is a benefit gala, not a sadomasochistic training session, darling. Dress properly." Joker giggled and adjusted his bowtie. "Step away, Kitty…I really need to go."

"NO, JOKER! I gave you the mask. You promised…"

"No, you listen. Use the air mass between your ears and solve this riddle, handed to you on a silver platter." Joker spat angrily at the millionaire, then sneezed loudly. "Damn cat allergies. Now be a good girl and step away or I will kill everybody in this mansion. Including the brat boy here."

"You mean those guys upstairs were your hostages?" Selina said cynically. "Last I saw they were running for their lives out the door. You're thugs are slacking, Joker…or maybe they're all unconscious."

"She did it!" Lou said terrified. "We're next!"

"Maybe you should listen to your boy there, Joker."

"Oh, and you think I will rely merely on hostages for my safety. Stupid kitten. I have not played all my cards yet." Joker snapped back with a wide perverse smile producing a small deck of cards in his hand. "Maybe you want to pick up a card, darling, any card."

Joker threw the cards at Selina, who skillfully missed each one. The cards embedded on the wall behind him like darts.

"I'm not impressed. Now it's up to you, Joker…easy or hard?" The Jester rolled his eyes.

"For you, not that hard. Your boyfriend and some of my toxin…or me." Joker tossed a handful of small grenades where Bruce sat and a thick cloud of purple smoke quickly enveloped him making him cough violently. "And I will hurry. I don't know how long this rodent is going to be able to hold his breath."

Selina rushed past the Jester and his henchman to reach Wayne who fought forcefully to finish undoing his binds. Joker and Lou took the chance to run out of the room and shut the door behind them. Amidst the smoke, Selina held her breath as she started loosening the knots that still held Bruce to the chair. Once done, she pulled him into a corner where the smoke had started to dissipate.

"You Ok?" She asked and Bruce nodded as he took a deep breath that ended in another coughing fit. She turned towards the door when Wayne held her by an arm. By now most of the smoke had cleared from the room.

"We can still stop him if we hurry." She let out in a puff of air.

"He probably set explosives behind the door."

She looked at the door then back at Bruce. "Is there another way out?"

"I have a secret exit, are the hostages really out of the mansion?" Bruce said as he rushed to one of the back walls feeling over the crevices in the pattern. In a moment one of the panels gave way and opened to a dark tunnel.

"No, I was bluffing. They are all still unconscious, but so are his henchmen now. Down and tied up for delivery to GCPD."

"And you thought he would not find out? I" Wayne said taking labored breaths entering the tunnel. Selina remained behind. "He probably will try something deadly with the hostages to keep us distracted while he leaves and I'm not risking the hostages."

"You can check on your hostages, I'm stopping the clown." She snapped starting to leave when Bruce held her by her wrist.

"NO! Joker might have left explosives. Need to clear the mansion first and I can't do this alone. We both can cover more ground with the equipment on the cave. You don't know what Joker's capable of."

"Oh, I think you know very well what he can do," Selina said spilling venom in her voice. "He can call me your girlfriend and he felt all too cozy calling you by your first name, 'Brucie'?."

Bruce stopped to look into the Catwoman's grey eyes that stared at him accusingly. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Ridiculous? He called you a rodent, Bruce. Didn't you hear him?"

"He was insulting me, that's all."

"And what riddle was he referring to?"

"I don't have a clue. He was just…babbling." Wayne started to go through the passage when he felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. He looked back and noticed Selina's glaring angrily at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Must have imagined you were lying to me," Selina responded dryly, bumping against him into the secret tunnel. Bruce rubbed the back of his neck and followed Selina silently into the passage.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Boss, we're here." Lou set the van on park and killed the engine, snapping the Jester from his almost trance -like state. The Boss, who normally wouldn't shut up, had not said a word ever since they had left the Wayne mansion and that was not like the Joker at all.

The Jester put a heavy hand on the thug's shoulder and silently got out of the van, walking along the vehicle and towards the elevator to the office level. He could hear the men exiting the back, murmuring and snickering over tonight's events. All but one of Mask's men had been accounted for, and they all blamed Gabriel's loss on him and his unpredictability. Only because he didn't stop to think…he just reacted the only way he knew, letting his .38 speak for him. Punch emerged from one of the back offices with the color on his face gone. He approached the Jester gingerly exchanging looks with the rest of the henchmen.

"He knows…" was all that Punch said. The tone on his voice was a clear indication of things to come. "He's waiting for you in his office."

"Alright." Joker acknowledged, fixing his purple vest and bow tie. He then sighed and looked at Punch directly in the eyes. The thug was terrified, and couldn't hide it behind those tired black eyes. "You can have my Groucho Marx video collection. And tell Lou he can have that Jack in the box he likes so much. The rest goes to Harley…she deserves it for putting up with me all these years."

"But Boss…" Punch tried to say, but the Jester was quickly far from earshot range as he entered the elevator. Joker turned around and waved sadly at his faithful henchman while the elevator door closed. After what felt like an eternity, a soft ping announced he had arrived on the fifth floor, and Black Mask's office was just a few yards away. He filled his chest and then let out the air in a huff when the elevator door opened. It was time to face life the only way he knew how…with a large smile on his face.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bruce was helping the Mayor's wife onto a stretcher, when Montoya entered the main hall. Police officers, forensic experts and paramedics were already scattered all over the mansion, attending to the guests and initiating the investigation of the crime scene.

"Can I ask you a few questions, Mr. Wayne?" Bruce rose and gave her a silent nod. "I understand that a close encounter with the Joker is a terrifying experience, but I need to know the details of what happened in the Armory room. It is a mess."

"He wanted a ceremonial mask from my collection. As you might have already inferred from the violence in the room, I had no choice but to give it to him."

"I understand. And since all your guests are accounted for…"

"The Commissioner left early…" Bruce responded hoping to gain information of Gordon's whereabouts.

"The Commissioner was at the Historical Depository so ALL your guests are accounted for. Not that he needs an excuse, but do you know why would Joker kill one of his own men?"

Bruce shook his head. "Self defense."

"Excuse me?"

The Detective stopped what she was writing to look into the millionaires eyes. Bruce understood how strange it must have sounded what he had just said, but somehow he had to do justice to what had really transpired in the armory room. Had Joker not acted like that, it would have been the Clown's body and not the thug's the one the police would've discovered tonight.

"That's how I remember it." Bruce said with a shrug. "They argued about the mask. Gabriel tried shooting him, but Joker disarmed him and the thug lunged at him with a knife and that's when Joker shot him."

"That's…strange. And do you remember anything else like what they wanted the mask for?"

"Not much." Bruce held his head and rubbed his temples. His breathing picked up speed and his voice started to falter. "God, it's all a blur. I was terrified. Thought he was going to kill me. I saw my life in front of me…like a movie you know?"

"I understand Mr. Wayne," Montoya said putting her notebook away and handing the playboy a card with the phone number to MCU. "We can speak calmly later, when you had time to rest. Give us a call tomorrow morning and we can set an appointment for the interview."

"Thank you." Bruce said timidly taking the card from the Detective's hand. He had succeeded in sneaking out of a long interrogation by the police. He turned and headed to check on Alfred who was still being tended to by paramedics. Montoya shook her head and turned to meet an incoming forensic officer.

"Detective, we need to move the body to the morgue quickly." The young scientist said with grave concern in his voice.

"The coroner's on his way."

"I know, but the body…I know this sound strange but there are discrepancies between our findings and the witness accounts. We might lose important clues if we don't refrigerate the cadaver soon."

"What do you mean…discrepancies?"

"I think that the victim has been dead for more than twenty four hours, maybe days…weeks." Montoya's eyes opened wide. This was impossible. Joker had shot the man no more than an hour ago. "Now you understand detective?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker opened the door to Mask's office slowly and peeked his head around nervously in search of the army of thugs he was sure were waiting for him inside. Instead, he was surprised to see only the Black Mask sitting calmly on his desk, writing on a pile of papers. His khaki suit hung from the wall beside him, and he had rolled the sleeves of his linen shirt up to his elbows. The look on Mask's face was that of death himself as the skeletal features of his face were accentuated by the dim light of his desk lamp. Black motioned the Jester in.

"My…what a big face you have Grandma!" Joker said as he entered the office. Black glared at him through his blackened eye sockets. Being stared down by death itself sent chills down the Clown's spine but the Jester fought back the feeling, smiling ever widely.

"Did you bring it with you?" Black asked dryly. Joker started searching frantically inside the sleeves of his shirt and within his gloves. "Skip the theatrics, Joker. Do you have the mask?"

"You're no fun," Joker responded pulling the mask from behind him and setting it gently on the gangster's desk. Black ran a leather gloved hand over the rough wooden surface of the mask and Joker could have sworn that the gangster smiled. It was difficult to tell with all that skin missing from the lower half of his face.

"Yes, I usually lose my humor when things don't go according to my plans."

"Your plan? Excuse me but I thought you said it was my show?"

Black took the mask and examined it closely. "No, you're right. It was your show, but was it part of your show to kill my best man too?"

"I don't know how you heard the story, Blackie, but that was not planned. The boy drifted off the script… threatened me with a knife…."

"Really?" Joker gave him a suspicious look. Of course Mask knew what had happened and how it had happened. Why ask him now? Black sat deeper into his chair. "Then give me the details. I want to hear your side of the story."

"I was trying to get your mask from Wayne when Gab got all impatient and tried to rush to act two."

"I heard, you were playing with the millionaire and the clock was ticking."

"It was all part of the plan. I play with people," Joker said with a shrug, "and though my psychiatrist thinks it's my part of my OCD, I like to call it my calling card. I was having my fun with the playboy, that's all. You said I could have my fun, no?"

"The police would have arrived at any time."

"You think I don't know that? But I planned it with enough time to play. Gordon and his men were gone. There was enough time to play."

"OK." Black nodded exasperatedly. "And then?"

"And then…" Joker made a pause. He knew what came next. Acceptance of guilt and Mask's verdict would probably be his death penalty. Any other day he wouldn't have cared but today, for some reason, playing this game with Black bothered him. "Your boy stopped being funny."

"My boy stopped being funny," Black repeated trying to digest the words. "Is that why you attacked Gabriel?"

"I warned him first. I told him to back off, but he tried to shoot me, I shot back…a flesh wound really, but he was not a happy albino."

"And?"

Joker sighed. "He didn't get the joke. Pulled this big ass knife out from I don't know where and lunged to carve me a new face. No way I was going to let him destroy such a recognizable profile of perfection." The Clown Prince pointed a long bony finger towards his face.

Black just glared silently at the Jester while he drummed his fingers against the mask. The emptiness of his sockets and the lipless mouth made it impossible to figure out what was going on inside the gangster's brain. After what seemed like an eternity, Black finally rose from his desk and approached the Jester stopping within a foot from where Joker was standing.

"Gabriel never liked you. He said you were…unpredictable. Maybe he was right."

"Everything was going to plan until he opted to rewrite my play. It was my masterpiece."

"This was not a play, Joker. This was a very important mission I trusted you could accomplish with the same finesse you used at the asylum. Instead, you start an argument with one of the very men under your command, kill him and hardly make it out safely. You took unnecessary risks and I think you did it because it caused you a thrill, you wanted the extra fun. This could have been a total disaster."

"Look, your ape didn't know how to take orders, became a risk to the mission and a risk to me. I shot him, yes…before he could carve me into sushi. And if you look on your desk…LO' AND BEHOLD! There it is…your mask Blackie."

"And that is the only reason why I have not killed you." Black walked back to retrieve the mask and held it firmly in his hands as he reclined against the table. "Do you happen to know how Catwoman knew about you and the boys at the mansion?"

"Who knows," Joker shrugged dismissively. "I'm not the cat trainer."

"Selina never knew when to quit and that feline is getting too close for comfort." Black said in a gruff tone. Joker was surprised that he had called Catwoman by her real name. Something only the real Sionis would have known. This confirmed what he already knew. This was the real Black Mask, no matter how impossible that could be after the events that lead to his death over a year ago.

"Look I'm a busy clown. So if you just want to snuff me, you have," Joker looked at his hand where he had tattooed a watch, "ten minutes before I crash on a bed. Long night, need to recover my beauty sleep. So what is it gonna be, Blackie?"

"You are not afraid to die, are you?"

"Black, you'll stop being afraid of dying when you have died as many times as me. Just ask Gordy, he keeps count. You've done only once and still have a lot of dying to do before you can even catch up with me." Joker responded with a childish giggle.

"I guess." Black reclined against the large mahogany desk. "Gabriel is so different from you. He's methodical, attached to rules and regulations and very impatient."

"And not funny." Joker responded as he reached over to take some miniature mints from a glass container on Mask's desk. "And to think he and I could have had an…understanding."

"No, he is not funny. But he had his orders and he would have been bound to tolerate your chaotic methods… unless you pushed him off his limits."

"I don't like how that sounds." Joker hissed through a mouthful of mints. "Are you blaming me again?"

"No, I'm blaming myself. Putting you together was not a good idea, because Gabriel and you are like night and day. He is more of a pessimist. You see humor even in murder, which is a stretch, but you are one happy naïve soul. For someone addicted to order and rules as he was, your chaos might have been perceived as…failure."

"That sounds like an insult."

"But the truth is that when you're at your most chaotic…you succeed. You're just oblivious to everything as long as you have fun and still, you get on top of the food chain. But Gabriel doesn't understand that. To him, your chaos is a defect that he tries to fix and he makes a mistake in the process."

"I'm still not getting the punch-line and I think you just insulted me again." Joker hissed flicking a mint at Black.

"This is not an insult. I just think there is something about you that everybody misses; something that sets you apart from the rest of…them." Black said while Joker just gave him the evil eye. "You saw Wayne's collection, didn't you? Have you wondered why I requested this specific mask from the whole array on the wall?"

"Plans for a face-lift?" The Jester snapped with a perverse smirk, and flicked another mint at the gangster. Black took a deep breath.

"Do you even know the value of this piece of wood?"

"Three acres of the Amazon rainforest?" The Jester shrugged and put more mints in his mouth. "I don't know."

Black chuckled. "This mask was made way before there was an Amazon rainforest. The pyramids of Giza were just a dream in a long forgotten pharaoh's mind when this mask was carved. This mask is not just a novelty, Joker, this is a real antiquity."

"Older than the Amazon rainforest…HA! You and your fairy tales, Blackie…"

"No fairy tale, Joker. There is more in this life than what you can start to comprehend."

"And you're telling me this because…?"

"I'm telling you because you held a piece of the divine in your hands. The mask was carved by a god, Joker. A misunderstood god …banned to oblivion by his peers, just like you. And like you…he had a taste for good old fashioned chaos. Thought you would understand the similarities. Didn't you feel its energy?"

Joker started to giggle frantically. "Oh…this is too rich. I might be psychotic…" The Clown flicked the few mints left in his hand at Black. "But you, my friend, you are totally delusional."

"The price of this mask is not set in dollars and cents, but in the liters of blood spilled to become in its possession. All that pain and suffering. Didn't you feel anything when you held it in your hands?"

"My ass itched…but I don't think there was anything divine about that. It must've been that wicker armor in Wayne's armory. EEEEK!"

Mask frowned, set the wooden vizard beside him on the desk and crossed his arms over his chest letting out a deep sigh. "I will have one of my associates drive you and your men to my safe place by the bay. Stay there with the others until I have need of you. This time follow my script."

"So you definitely are not going to snuff me tonight…" Joker sighed. "Interesting."

"You seem surprised. We had a deal. What lead to Gabriel's demise was not your fault. Let's just hope he will learn from his mistakes, as I have from mine. Next time I might not be that tolerant."

"Umm, Blackie," The Jester eyed the gangster amusedly, "It's a wee bit late to learn when you're dead."

Black shook his head. "Yes, you're right. It's hard to think he's gone. But though below my standards, you have accomplished the mission and I made you a promise I intend to keep."

"And I'm moved…"Joker responded faking emotion in his voice and extending his arms in what seemed like an invitation to a hug."You really love me, don't you Blackie?"

Black turned around and walked over to sit back on his desk. "Do not mistake my intentions. I don't like many of the things you do, but you have proven your worth. I have need of some time to reflect on the past set of events. Time I need alone. You may leave now."

"By your command, mon capitan," Joker said mimicking the military salute as he turned and left the office singing Kum ba yah. Once by himself, Black ran a hand over his new acquisition, a red flame sparked deep inside the empty sockets.

"Soon the circle will be complete. And then…no force on this world will be able to oppose us. It is up to us to rewrite history…the way it should have been written. And I have just found your vessel, brother…like promised."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was not until very early in the morning that the police finally left Wayne Manor. Still in his tuxedo, Bruce sat at the bottom of the stairs to the main computer level in the Bat-cave and held his head between his hands. Like the Jester had said, no hostages were killed, and after analyzing the grenade from the armory, he discovered that there was no toxin in the gas he used. Murder was not in the Clown's mind that night. He thought of what Joker had told him about the clues lying right there in front of him and missing them all. He had to find out the truth. He went to the forensic station and pulled the file containing the evidence from the Asylum.

Bruce poured a handful of the confetti in his hand. Small white skulls and bones bounced off his hand and scattered on the table: Black Mask. It's presence in Galindo's box must have meant that it had been Mask who was involved in the broker's murder, not Joker, and the lack of the trademark grin confirmed it. Once he started analyzing the cards, the clues began to pop at him, the names of foes old and new, masterfully hidden within the decks. Why could he see them only now?

He removed the jacket from his tuxedo and tossed it over the rail of the staircase to the Bat-computer, when a loud clang caught his attention. On the floor lay a large antique bronze key that must've fallen off his pocket, but he didn't remember owning such a key. On closer examination of the key his experienced eyes noticed that the metal had been artificially aged and small marks between the jagged teeth seem too fresh on the metal. Even the two intertwined dragons on the keychain had been recently crafted. This was not an original key, but a reproduction and only one person had been close enough to leave it in his jacket.

"What new clue have you left me, Joker? Another cat and mouse game from you?"


	28. Opening Hell's Gates

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's Note: **I have to apologize for the tardiness of posting this chapter, but have had the craziest last 30 days. Not only have I been writing, but have started painting and drawing again, producing some Joker art for my Deviant account and have been working on two new Joker sites.I_

_But you guys have been waiting for this, and I hope you enjoy what I have been cooking for you all. I hope the wait was worth it. In this chapter, some things start to be revealed, others will hopefully make you ask even more questions, and the tide starts to turn against our protagonists...in preparation for the future I know you all want to see._

_Like always, remember that your feedback is always very important to us writers (it's the desert of our muses) so feel free to drop any comments and reviews about the story._

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters are owned by DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS as well as SEXUAL CONTENT. Please be warned._

_BETA: Another great job done by DOLLHOUSEDISASTER that has my eternal gratitude. Thanks for making the time to help._

**Chapter 28: Opening Hell's Gates**

Gordon took a sip from his coffee and set his glasses over the array of reports on his desk. The night had been extremely active in both ends of the city. First, the Joker decides to drop uninvited into Wayne's benefit gala. Gordon had attended the Gala as well, but more violence at the Historical Depository, courtesy of Victor Fries made him leave the party early. He remembered the time he left Wayne's manor, with a slight headache and some nausea. He thought it had been the food and wine, now he knew it was something more at the party.

Gordon rubbed the bridge of his nose when he noticed a disturbance at the corner of his left eye. He glanced over to the large window beside him and saw the dark, tall, caped outline of the night crusader.

"Kind of early for you to be out here," the Commissioner said putting back his glasses.

"We have seven high risk criminals and four low profile ones involved in this scheme, and leading them is Black Mask." Batman responded gruffly tossing a large file on the Commissioner's already busy desk.

"Someone must be trying to gather the remains of Sionis' organization." Gordon said as he sifted through list of names on the file. "Fries, Crane, Cobblepot, Dent, Aisley, Nigma, and Joker…and this is too many psychos for even Mask to handle, whomever he is."

"And potentially Marty Bertinelli, White Shark and the leaders of the Patriots and the Wild Dogs are part of the plot. Eleven rogues."

Gordon shook his head. "That's a lot of bad people in one place. And who would want to work with the Clown anyways?"

"Someone with nothing to lose and a lot to gain from this. Mask must have offered something big to the whole lot of rogues, and Joker just needs the fun of the game to play."

"For how long? The Clown doesn't play well with others and will kill for a laugh, even at Mask's expense."

"And from what I have gathered...this is might not just be a Black Mask wannabe, but the real deal." Batman said leaving Gordon with a skeptic look behind the glasses. This investigation was already turning evidence of witchcraft and demonology, and evidence was heading towards a dead man on the lead of the whole plan.

"Excuse me. You said...this is really Black Mask?" the Commissioner said sifting through the folder once more as if he had missed a page somewhere. "Roman Sionis is dead, Batman. How could he be behind this?"

There was a tense moment of silence as Knight did not supplied the so much needed explanation. Gordon look at the Cape Crusader from above the rim of his glasses. "Batman?"

Batman kept silent. He sifted the advantages of telling Gordon the truth versus looking like an idiot by trusting the words of a renowned psychopath. "I confirmed the information with the contents in Frost's computer. Sebastian was transferring assets between two companies that had had ties to Sionis' industrial empire using old codes and well known contacts close to Roman. I have looked at every other angle, but all points to Roman Sionis. Including contacts from the Patriots and the Wild Dogs."

"So the gangs are under Black Mask's payroll too?"

"The evidence suggests they are." Batman responded bluntly.

"This case turns creepier by the moment. First witches now what...zombies?"

"Believe me, I find it as hard to believe as you do. But the evidence does not lie." Batman moved closer to Gordon's desk. "I've heard you have Frost in custody."

"People in Frost's executive board had said he was acting rather strangely the last few days and caught some irregularities on their books. We called him in to testify. And believe me, strangely can hardly start to describe it. He must be using something strong… because it shows."

"Has he spilled anything?"

"Not really," Gordon set the file apart. "We have interrogated him for hours and he keeps an ironclad defense. He swears he is not involved in any business with Fries and so far we don't have a connection to any wrongdoing. I would have to release him unless you have proof of your findings."

"I have the emails and the electronic transactions in records. Sionis' enterprises have dumped a few millions trying to save Frost's company in the last year."

"All that money moving around and Frost could not save his company?"

"I don't think he wanted to. Frost made some very large transfers of money to European banks. He was probably insuring his retirement fund with Sionis' money."

"That definitely would not go well with Mask." Gordon said looking over one of the folders on his desk.

"No. And that would probably be the lever we need to force Frost to talk. I would like to have a little talk with him if you don't object."

Gordon smiled softly under his moustache. "Is it going to be as animated as Nigma's?"

"No" Batman paused. He had to admit that Nigma's interview had gone a little father than he would have wished. "But I'm hoping he knows a little more about this."

Batman responded assertively and tossed a bag containing the key Joker had given him.

"What's this?" Gordon said taking the bag for close examination.

"Took me a while to find out, but that's a reproduction of the Dragon Key." Batman moved through the office, the thick cape trailing behind him. "It's one in a set of three, thought to have belonged to Lucifer himself. Legend says that whoever had all of them, would be able to open the gates of hell."

Gordon pushed himself deep on his chair and stared at the key, then back to Batman. "Alright, this is getting creepy. Keys to hell, Gehenna, the Lake of Fire?"

"Yes, the legend says whoever is able to get a hold all the keys, would control anything within its domain." Batman noticed the strange look the Commissioner was giving him. "It is supposed to be a source of incredible power and centuries of riches accumulated in hell."

"And you believe that?"

"Not really. I believe is someone else's treasure chest and Mask just found a way to cash out the profit."

"Well it's good to know you don't believe in that hocus pocus, but I never expected him to be the superstitious type." Gordon set the bag with the Dragon key beside him. "And at the same time, that would explain why Fries was so methodical when he raided the Historical Depository last night. All that was missing was an ancient pre-Egyptian document loaned to the University for a historical research."

"The Book of Riddles."

The Commissioner eyed the Detective intensely. "And how do you know that?"

"I checked with the curator of the depository and he gave me the title. It is one of three books, each opened with one of Lucifer's keys, but the Book of Riddles does not open with the Dragon key, which means that Black might already have the other keys…"

"And the title gives you a clue as to why the Black Mask needed a code breaker in his team."

"Yes, but would not explain Plummet. He had no obvious talents."

"No, but he had a very severe psychosis. He heard voices and spoke to invisible people in his cell."

"I read his dossier. The most severe case of schizophrenia Dr. Arkham had seen according to his notes."

"And we found a small diary in Plummet's cell. It detailed visits from 'dark shadows' who spoke to him of events to come. That is how we knew of the escape attempt. Some of those conversations got really weird. He thought he was not human at all, but a force of nature."

"I doubt anyone so disturbed could be of any use to Mask."

"But I remember something from his diary…something about keys." Gordon sifted through his stack of files. "I have some scans around here."

"Did you find any traces of the venom in Plummet?"

"Yes, and you were right suspecting it was a variant of Scarecrow's fear venom. According to the doctor's report, the chemical was in such high concentration that it should have killed him. It didn't but probably accounted for his hallucinations. That and an undetected congenital heart defect was just a deadly combination."

"Could be a coincidence, but somehow I think that is not the case."

"Not that it would have made a difference. The amount of venom would have killed him in time." Gordon pulled a bundle of copies from a brown folder "Here they are. Scans from Plummet's diary. Look at the last entry."

Batman read: _Tonight, these walls will hold me no longer. The shadows have promised me that if I lead them to the key, I will be allowed to fulfill the destiny bestowed to me by my father. And then, I will join the True and I they will not be able to ignore me anymore. Finally, I will be allowed home as Leyak-ahmad…son of the Dark Mist..._

"This was written the night of the escape?" Batman inquired.

"Yes. Could he be talking about the devil's keys?"

"It's possible and puts Plummet in the picture again, but if he was cooperative, why kill him? And his reference to his father is very unusual. Plummet was an orphan who never met his real father."

"Maybe one of the things he made up in his head. The important element is the key reference. You brought me one already." Gordon pointed at the reproduction of the Dragon Key on his desk.

"And two more are left. We need to find out how many Mask has, and what do they open." Batman kept sifting through the scans.

"But Batman, it is just a legend, no?"

"Some legends are based on a bit of truth. For Mask, this truth, as insignificant and blurry as it may seem, is enough reason to trigger the treasure hunt."

Gordon mused over what Batman was saying. This investigation was taking a turn into the world of the supernatural that he didn't like a bit. His job description didn't cover any deals with Satan himself.

"You proabably know about Joker's attack at Wayne's manor last night" Batman nodded silently. "He stole a ceremonial mask from the millionaire's collection."

"The mask stolen from Wayne's mansion was unremarkable except maybe for its age and an inscription inside written in a forgotten language."

"Like always you're very well informed. Any idea if it is related to Lucifer's keys?"

"Mr. Wayne had it studied by various scholars and nobody could identify the ancient language, but the mask dates a few thousand years before the legend of the Devil's keys. That makes me think they are probably unrelated." Batman walked over to the window and looked down the street then back at Gordon. "Do you have an ID on the body found at Wayne's mansion?"

"Not yet. We sent some samples to the state lab, but the body itself has Forensics scratching their heads." Batman didn't say a word. Gordon sank on his chair before going on. "It seems they can't agree about the time of death."

"How could that be? He died at Wayne's Manor last night." Batman said gruffly.

"Forensics on the other hand says the condition in which the body was found contradicts that. They think he had been dead for days, maybe even longer."

"That is impossible."

"I know, and that makes me think Joker did something else to the body, or maybe to Wayne's perception. I know that clown will do anything for a laugh."

_No, you really don't know him,_ Batman thought as he took a deep sigh. "Few conditions can accelerate decay. We need that autopsy report to start ruling some of them out."

"They told me I would have it in the morning."Gordon took the Dragon Key in his hands to examine it closely when his cell phone rang. He looked at the phone screen and grimaced. "Hope this is important…it's too late for a courtesy call."

"Gordon here." The color in Gordon's face disappeared and his eyes opened wide as he rushed a hand over to his temples, rubbing hard. "WHAT?"

"Everything alright, Jim?"

Gordon lifted a hand. "Are you positive about that? How long ago? I see. Well, thank you, Montoya and please keep me informed once you have something from surveillance."

"What happened?" Batman inquired as he noticed that years seem to have befallen on the Commissioner's face.

"Somebody entered the morgue about two hours ago and stole the body found at Wayne's mansion. Three assistants and the chief of the forensics department are dead. Montoya says it was a massacre."

"Any clues as who would have done it?" Batman said almost sure Gordon will announce that they had found Joker cards scattered at the morgue.

"Not yet. She just started with the interviews and the analysis of the surveillance tapes."

"Were they able to get tissue samples for genetic analysis?"

"She said that there were samples, but the coolers where they kept them were raided as well. All we might have left is the evidence lifted from Wayne's Manor."Gordon grouped all the files in his desk into a neat table. "Someone wanted to erase evidence on that albino henchman, but why?"

"It's time to ask Frost."

"I agree," Gordon said grabbing the phone, "I don't care who I have to wake up this late at night, I am arranging a meeting tonight. This gets creepier by the hour."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker arrived at the destined reunion point before noon. One of Mask's henchmen escorted him up the stairs of the old building by the loading docks of the Aparo River and opened the door for him. With an artistic flare, Joker scooted into the living room only to find it empty. Not a single soul was in there.

"Hey, where did everybody go?" the Jester asked his escort who silently turned away and left closing the door behind him. "Well, great talking to you too, pal!" Joker yelled angrily to the heavy door before starting to take a closer look to his new quarters.

He had a bad feeling about this. Mask said the others will be here, in common quarters all the criminal masterminds that Skeletor had been able to hire, and yet, he was alone. Did the walking corpse set him up? A few psychiatric magazines lay scattered over a black coffee table on the main living space. Crane…great. He was roommates with a bale of hay…Joker thought as he noticed one of Penguin's umbrellas resting against the window sill. Maybe his only real friend in this wasp's nest…then maybe not.

From one of the rooms down the hall at the far end of the living room, Edward Nigma emerged in a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His fiery red hair, poked from underneath his green derby like flames from a torch as he stared at the Clown in the living room.

"Ah, it's you." Nigma said acidly as he looked around the room. "Could have sworn I'd heard Crane."

"No…no straw here, just a handsome clown," Joker chuckled. "Where's everybody?"

"I don't know." Riddler shrugged as he turned on his heels and started back to the room he had come from.

"Alone and lively…let's play a game." Joker said following Nigma's steps closely. He looked at the last room at the end of the hall and noticed the damp frame around the door and the icicles dripping from the air conditioning vent above it. Passing by Nigma he walked over to the damp room door. "Is anybody else home, Eddie?"

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." Nigma said when Joker turned around and looked at him curiously. "Not that I care, but Victor has been telling us how he plans on taking care of you. I don't recall ever hearing that icicle speak with such passion or graphic detail about murder."

"Really?" Joker said with a smile. "Some people can't leave the past behind."

"Says the man with the multiple choice past, right?"

"Keeps life interesting. No two days are the same," Joker said perversely, "and why do you ask if you don't care?"

"Who knows?" Edward shrugged nervously adjusting the sleeves of his shirt. "Maybe I just want to see you die in another painful way…or maybe I'm returning the favor of letting me out of Arkham. I have not made my mind yet."

"I take back what I said about you been an ungrateful bastard," Joker chuckled. "You're welcome Eddie."

"Whatever, Clown. Now if you don't mind…I'm busy." Nigma said entering to his room. Joker followed him in and noticed the arrays of parchments and books over the bed as well as the large book over the night table. Nigma frowned and walked over the Jester. "Do you have any idea what privacy means, Joker?"

"Yes," the Jester responded sifting through some lose leafs of paper by the entrance. "That old fashioned concept that something belongs to you and only you. Like space."

"It's not old fashioned. THIS space belongs to me and I would really like to have you out of it."

"But since Einstein, space-time is relative to the observer." Joker remarked as he looked around curiously. "So is privacy."

"What?"

"That you might see this as your private space, but from my point of view this looks like OUR private space." Joker swirled where he stood with a happy giggle, his hands extended wide beside him. "Who knows, it could even be mine. Yes, and I would like to change the décor on this one."

"We're not sharing rooms." Nigma responded angrily, taking the paper off the Joker's hands. "Yours is the first one to the right. Now leave me alone."

Joker pushed his way through and went to examine some of the parchment on the bed written in hieroglyphs. "But I tend to like this space. It is so messy and….chaotic." The Jester chuckled "What are you doing here, Eddie?"

"None of your business," Nigma spurted removing Joker of the brittle parchment in his hands. "Don't touch anything, OK? Just leave, before Crane comes."

"What does Burlap-face has to do with this?"

"Nothing, but he's acting really weird. I think Black is paying him to spy on us."

Joker chuckled. "And you're afraid of a man with straw in his head."

"No, I'm afraid of being cut off this gig. Do you know what's at stake here?"

"Skeletor is dealing on some old shit from the beginning of time. Big deal, so was Indiana Jones."

"Where do you get that ridiculous idea?"

"An old mask I got him. It's as old as dirt and probably very valuable. And look at these parchments. I'm sure Ramses read this to his kids. They belong in a museum."

"They were in a museum and the mask," Nigma laughed as he walked over the large book on the night table. "That is just a small part of the puzzle Joker. This is the real treasure."

"And what's that…King Tut's Sudoku collection?" The Jester giggled.

"Man, what did Sionis hired you for?" Riddler sifted through the book. Joker looked attentively over Nigma's shoulder, noticing the old yellow paper that made the pages covered in ancient hieroglyphs and passages in a language that was unknown to him. "This is the greatest discovery since the Sphinx, you idiot. This is the Book of Riddles. It holds the key to the great secrets of the ancients and a treasure as large as the world. We'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams."

Joker yawned. "Money…how irksome."

"If you don't care about the pay off of working in this project…why are you here?"

"Blackie said something about chaos and my ears perked."

"Still it makes no sense. You even risked capture trying to release me out of Arkham…why Joker?

"Because it was fun. You should have seen the faces on Gordy, the Bat and the Green Berets when they realized I sneaked you out from under their noses."

"What now? I don't believe you think this is funny for you anymore."

"Oh, I'll find something funny, somewhere. Now do you mind telling me more about your crossword book?"

"Book of Riddles…." Nigma responded angrily returning to his book. "And if Black didn't tell you, it's maybe because he thought you should not know at all."

"He told me about the mask…made by a god. A god that like me, loved chaos."

"More than that…he WAS chaos. And it was not a god…it was a demon."

Joker's eyes opened wide while looking at Nigma's serious face. What the hell has he gotten himself into? He had heard some of the weirdest stuff in the world and had even made up some himself while at the Asylum, but dealing with the supernatural was something that had little appeal to him. It was true that he had been called the incarnation of evil in the news many times, but that was way different than listening to stories about demons and magical books with fantastic powers. And Nigma looked like he believed every word he was saying. Joker's eyes watered as he busted in a hysterical laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"That you….and Blackie," the Jester said between gasps of air and trying to recover his composure, "…would believe in such nonsense. I thought you were a little more intelligent." He busted in laughter again. "Guess I overestimated your, Eddie."

"You think I believe this demon crap?" Nigma blurted angrily. "Mask has enough proof the treasure is real and I'm here for the cash. Just like everybody else. You…I'm not so sure."

"I'm here for the fun, and right now I'm having a truckload. You guys are incredibly naïve," Joker responded when Crane entered Nigma's room carrying a few rolls of ancient parchment paper in his arms. The Jester stopped laughing when the Scarecrow's eyes fixed on him with so intensity that he could almost feel the brown eyes, piercing though his brain, into the smallest recess of the gray matter. The feeling made him uncomfortable, but he shook it off with a smile.

"What are you doing here, Joker?" Crane said solemnly in a dark and menacing voice while exchanging looks between the Jester and Riddler.

"Exchanging beauty tips with my friend. What about you, Spooks…have done anything good after stealing Skeletor's keys?"

Crane's eyes narrowed to tiny slits. Nigma lowered his gaze and turned back to his book. "Edward has a lot of work to do to waste his time playing with you. Go to your room and leave us alone."

"Listen Straw-brain, you're not my father so you just cut off the crap—." Joker responded when he heard a low growl coming from the Professor. He looked back to the Riddler who had busied himself in his ancient book to not pay attention to them. "What is wrong with you, Crane? Want me to kiss you again?"

Crane dropped the rolls of paper on the floor and lunged at the Jester pushing him effortlessly against the wall on the opposite end of the room. Joker, taken aback by the sudden surge of strength in the thin psychiatrist, tried to pry himself lose of the Professor's grip, but it was useless. Crane' held to him tight, pushing on his chest so hard that it was getting hard to breathe. Joker threw a punch at the psychiatrist, but Crane captured his fist within his long and bony fingers and applied painful pressure to the Joker's hand. The Clown grimaced in pain.

"Don't you raise a hand to me, unless you don't want to use it ever again." Jonathan growled. "I will teach you to behave the only way you seem to know how…with pain."

"Pain and I have been close friends for a while Crane." Joker said with a look in his face that reflected the agonizing pain in his hand. "You, on the other hand… have no idea what pain can do to a man…let me demonstrate." The Jester threw another punch and Crane intercepted that one too, and now with both fists within his hands, he started applying pressure until the bones in the white bony hands started to crack. Joker grimaced as he felt pain that started to irradiate from his hands and along his arms and thought of the only one logical strategy left: kick Crane on the family jewels. Jonathan's reaction to the low attack was unexpected as he simply grunted and tossed the Jester across the room like a rag doll. Joker landed painfully past the bed, taking down with him the parchments and manuscripts on top. Crane headed towards the Clown huffing angrily when he was intercepted by Nigma. Edward never recalled seeing the psychiatrist like this. He could have sworn his eyes had started to glow from the anger.

"I know more about pain than you think clown. You want to taste some of the real stuff?"

"What the heck you think you're doing Jonathan?" Edward said pushing the psychiatrist away with all his might. He had the same effect as if he tried to stop a bulldozer with his own hands. "Stop."

"The Clown," Crane started to babble when Joker rose unsteadily on his feet, "needs to learn a painful lesson…"

"Joker is one of us, remember? I'm sure Black will not approve of this, Jonathan."

"And it beats me why Skeletor would hire a man with no balls," Joker said with a chuckle that sounded more like a painful moan. "Hope he doesn't mind if I leave him brainless too….BANZAI!

Joker lunged, carrying the chair from Nigma's desk high above his head. Riddler cowered while the Jester swung the chair, smashing it against Cranes raise arms that he had raise to protect his head and face. Wood flew everywhere across the room, but the psychiatrist didn't budge an inch. Joker just stared in awe, and the psychiatrist reached down to the floor for one of still intact chair leg. He surprised the Jester with a hit on his lower stomach that forced him to the floor, out of breath.

Crane grabbed the Joker by the collar of his shirt and swung him around towards the wall with such ease that Edward stood petrified as he watched the show of force. The psychiatrist lunged at the weakened Clown who was trying to catch his breath and pressed the piece of wood hard against the Jester's chest. Breathing now was becoming a superhuman effort for the Joker. Memories of his fights with the Bat came to the Jester's mind. Many times he had been subdued by the mountain of muscle in the rodent costume but Crane was one third as heavy as the bat and in his opinion only as half as intelligent, but never that strong.

"You don't learn do you?" Crane growled.

"It's hard…" Joker gasped, "…when the teacher sucks."

"Then I'll repeat the lesson." Crane said with a perverse smile as he used the chair leg to jab the Clown forcing blood out of the Jester's mouth that splattered on the wall behind him. Joker fell on his knees and tried to crawl away from his demented attacker, when the psychiatrist hit him hard on his back with the piece of wood. The Jester could feel the pain radiate from his spine to his limbs and he felt his arms and legs turn into jelly. Not able to support his own weight, Joker fell face down on the hardwood floor waiting for the coup de grace he knew would be coming from Crane's frenzied attack.

Edward tackled the psychiatrist and pushed him against the night table. Crane growled as he tried getting momentum to push Riddler away. Joker covered his head and curled up on the floor like a scolded child.

"STOP! What the hell are you doing?" Edward pointed at all the parchments scattered over the floor. Some of them showed footprints and others showed small rips along the printed page. "If any of these documents gets damaged I will not be able to do my work. Try explaining that to Black."

"Your work, yes…yes, you're right Edward," Crane said lowering the wooden leg and panting heavily. "There are more important things we need to attend to. Besides, this Clown has learned his lesson, right Joker?"

"Yes, that I'm gonna open you like a bale of hay…."Joker muttered still curled up in pain."…and set you on fire."

"You are very quick at threatening people, Joker. You think this is painful? Think again, because this is nothing compared with what I can really do." Crane knelt over the Clown and grabbing the Joker's green mane, smashed the Jester's head against the floor. He then leaned close to his ear and spoke in a whisper. "Jack, Jack, Jack. You've always hidden from me in your madness, boy. How does it feel to stare at real pain in the eyes? I was there when you lost Jeannie, then when your skin burned inside that acid vat you fell in. Did you like what I made you feel? That was nothing. And I know of the pain you felt when you felt rejected by your bat, so don't tell me I don't know about pain. It is you who don't know pain like mine, Jack, but if you want to…try this again and I will not hold back. You will burn in pain, and beg for mercy…and death. I promise you."

The psychiatrist tossed the chair leg by the night table and walked toward the scrolls he had dropped by the door. He carried the bunch of ancient parchment and let it heavily on the table over the Book of Riddles.

"Edward, you should get to work." Jonathan said calmly as if nothing had transpired. His face was relaxed and unemotional. "Mask said you should have no problem deciphering the code within the month. The documents I bring will help you in your task."

"Uhm…thanks Crane." Riddler answered shyly. Crane was not a man he wanted to have on his bad side.

Eyeing the lump of Clown that still lay on the floor moaning softly, Crane turned around and headed towards the door where Victor Fries stood, beaming a large smile across his pale face. Crane pushed Fries aside and headed silently out the room. Joker could hardly see the large smile on the scientist's face through the foggy glass of Fries' helmet, but he could hear the echoes of the scientist's laughter very clearly through the fuzz and terrible headache that was trying to engulf his head.

"And what are you looking at, iceman?" Joker snarled trying hard to get on his feet without showing any sign of pain. He wobbled as he stood and Nigma reached to help him, but the Jester dismissed him. He was resolved to at least retain his pride.

"I wanted you in a world of pain, Clown, and it seems Crane has just granted me my wish." Fries said with a wide smile like a hyena. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end?"

"Peachy," Joker responded dusting his shirt and wiping the blood from his busted lip. His back throbbed in pain and the skin on his side felt like it was on fire. He noticed the small droplets of blood that now speckled the shirt over his waist line. "Like murder in the morning."

"Joker…no." Nigma started to say when the Clown headed calmly towards the door, combing his green curls with both hands. Fries pulled his freezing gun and got it ready to fire.

"Put that toy away, Popsicle. This show is over, and you are still full of Klondike." With that, Joker squeezed between the massive armored form of the professor and the door frame and headed towards his room closing the door behind him as he entered. The Jester heard a quick exchange between Nigma and Fries, then silence followed as everybody went back into their rooms. Joker just stood there, against the door. Movement in any direction was synonymous with pain. His entire torso was a factory of pain, no matter how he went about it.

He finally found enough courage to stagger forward towards the very inviting purple-sheeted bed in front of him. Passing in front of a wall mirror, he noted the swollen lip, blackened right eye, and the small cut under his chin from a stray nail on the wood. He undid his shirt and noticed the large bruise on his sternum. Another bruise, twice as large as the one on his chest started to appear on his back. In the middle of the bruise, a large gash seeped a small amount of blood from a corner. He touched the bruise and winced. _That one will leave a pretty scar,_ he thought reaching towards the bed.

"What the hell happened?" He asked letting himself painfully on the bed.

_Burlap-face gave you a dose of whoop-ass._ He answered himself realizing he was starting to talk to himself again, just like he had done at Arkham when he was sent to isolation. _He gave it to you good._

"But how…? He is so weak and… he knew my name." Joker tried to turn on his side when he was surprised by a flash of pain from his side that forced him to desist. "How did he know about Jeannie and the Bat? And how does he know my name...no one knows my name."

_The Bat does know too, you know?_

"Ha… the Bat." Joker said with a chuckle that reminded him of the bruise in his chest. He leaned back slowly, trying to think of anything else but the pain in his muscles as he tried unsuccessfully of finding a comfortable position. Shortly after he lay down, the fiery sensation in his skin subsided. "My millionaire detective, my playboy mouse. But I wanted him to know."

_The man who can't see beyond your ghastly smile…remember?_

"He will see it sooner or later." Joker said resting his hands over his white scarred chest. "He always does. Just needs a little...push."

_You're impossible._

"And you're impatient. And…." Joker sniffed the air, then sniffed his clothes. "…didn't you smell sulfur in the air?"

_Crane._

"Yeah, Spooky. But why would he smell like Skeletor?" Joker stretched, extending his arms slowly above his head. "Maybe after I sleep on it, I'll get him some cologne or something. I can't have him, stinking the place, you know?"

Starring at the ceiling he pondered how complicated things have turned over the last twenty four hours. He tried to think, but a piercing headache had taken over his whole brain, allowing only one thing through…Crane's words calling him by his name…and the grim threat he made to him. Pain…his friend for so long was no longer a feeling, but now it had taken form and substance…and that pain knew him by name. Suddenly a chill went down his spine, and he refused to think anymore. Instead, he closed his eyes and quickly let his mind take him away from his pain to a place where nothing else matter. He always felt well here, in the darkness of his own mind. It was in the recess of his own brain, where the line between sanity and insanity was just a blur that he felt truly at home.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Black Mask sat at his desk, reviewing a tower of ancient books and manuscripts and the mask Joker had brought from Wayne's house. With a small LED flashlight, he shone the darkened aged wood inside the mask. The inscription that made the mask invaluable had almost been totally erased by the passing of time, reduced to small shallow marks against the wood grain. This would take a long time to decode and even after revealing the incantation, he was not allowed to say it. It was his curse, unless he could find someone more familiar with the ancient language.

A knock at the door disturbed Mask from his task. Who dared, he thought, when everybody knew he was so busy with such an important mission. Three more knocks followed the first.

"I'm busy," Mask said gravely sifting through the pages of a nearby book.

"Lord Black..." The voice pleaded from the other side. Mask recognized the voice and rushed over to open the door. Standing in front of him Gabriel looked as if a hundred years had gone through him. His white hair puffed up from under a green baseball cap pulled down to the pale man's eyebrows. His clothes, a black football jersey with a large number 3 and a pair of gray sweat pants two sizes too large had obviously been borrowed from someone on the streets, for they still carried the stains and smells of a dumpster. Gabriel entered Mask's office, his step unsteady and erratic as he reached for one of the leather chairs.

"What took you so long?" Mask asked as Gabriel removed the baseball cap revealing a large hole in his forehead and the hair on the back of his head streaked in dried caked blood. "I was getting concerned."

"Your Clown diverted from our plan and surprised me." Gabriel said pointing at the hole in his head. "When I finally woke up, I found myself lying on a butcher's table, and mortals were ready to open me up. Did not know how much they had found out, but had to take care of the morgue's staff and all their samples. Nothing was left to chance."

"And the security in the morgue?"

"All taken care of. Only thing left is to skin me a Clown. Where's Joker? Please tell me you left him for me, my Lord…"

Black shook his head."You just don't understand him. He's different."

"Different? I told you before. He's unpredictable, and irrational, and because of him I will need a new vessel because this one will not last me long. Pity…I was kind of fond of this one."

"He got the mask…" Black said reaching over his desk for the ancient artifact. Gabriel backed off from mask but looked at the inscription inside. "Sorry, forgot your condition. But even you can't deny that nobody else could have gotten that mask but him. It probably even called to him. Then I understood his place in the new order."

"Yesss," Gabriel answered with a hiss of disgust. He would have preferred to not be in the same room with the artifact. A knot twisted in his decaying entrails and he felt sick to his stomach. "This is the real one. I can feel it. I remember when these words were written."

"Good, because you're the only one here who can read and speak angelic scripture. So it is your duty to translate the words. We have to be ready before the next moon."

"But I can't believe you are excusing that maniac, especially after what he did to me."

"What?" Black inquired when Gabriel pointed towards the bullet hole in his head. "I know he's crazy, but we need him. He's the twelfth soul, he completes the circle."

"And when I'm done with him, you are going to have a broken circle again, my Lord." Gabriel said with a growl, sinking his nails onto the palms of his hands as he tightened his fists.

"You forget about my brother." Mask refuted angrily. "We need to free my brother, and you forgot our deal."

Gabriel eyed Mask suspiciously. "No, I have not, but there are plenty of dark souls in this city. We can find another one to take his place. The Clown is playing his own game, not ours."

"I think you're underestimating his talent, Gabriel." Mask said offering his associate a handkerchief to clean the blood on his face. The albino refused. "Joker is a creature driven by chaos."

"And madness. And at Wayne's manor I felt something else. Something between him and Bruce Wayne I didn't like. I felt he was…protecting him. I don't know how but the Clown will betray us. I am warning you. Dispose of him before it is too late."

"Did you hear him say anything?"

"No." Gabriel responded trying to settle the mess of blood stained white hair to cover his wound. The pinky in his left hand got entangled in the hair and broke off falling to the floor. "The bullet severed my ties to this realm momentarily, but you could feel the chemistry between them. And there's something in his eyes…that tells me not to trust him."

"You're just angry for what he did to you. I think this Clown will be the perfect vessel for my brother. He will have plenty to feed from."

"My lord, with utmost respect, have you gone mad?" Gabriel noted the dark sockets in Black's mask flare up in a red glow that extinguished as quickly as it appeared.

"No, when I…confronted Crane I learned a lot about Joker's psyche. He's full of anger, hatred, greed, and violence. His mind is a mirror of chaos. He thirsts to make others suffer. He's the perfect vessel. Trust my judgement."

"I don't like the idea. He's too unpredictable."

"Maybe you'll feel better if we extend him the same kindness we did for Mr. Dent, and Dr. Crane."

"You really think you can tame the Clown. I'm afraid even a Hunter would go insane trying to control that madman."

"Control? No, you can't control chaos, only feed it and as a pigeon, he'll play the game as long as the crumbs keep coming. Joker wants chaos…let's give him chaos."

"I really hope you know what you're doing, Black."


	29. The Hunter Meets His Prey

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Au_thor's note:_**_ Hiya everybody. Happy July 4th. First let me apologize for the slight delay but had to take care of a few things before posting (like my entire closet came down to the floor...damn gravity). Anyways, got myself a new closet and took some time for you all. Here is a new installment and the turning point is coming soon followed by a pretty quick spiral down towards the end I know you all are dying to read (I don't want to drag much longer). In the meantime, the next two chapters are critical to understanding where I'm heading, so please keep your eyes peeled. I really hope you all will like what I have in store for this story. Remember what real love is all about...sacrifice (enough spoilers). _

_Like always, it is a pleasure to hear from you, so feel free to leave your reviews, opinions and suggestion on the review board. All voices are heard and respected, and you will keep me inspired. After all, this story is for you all, so please let me know what you guys think. _

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters all belong to DC. True, I have taken some liberties with the characters, but they were done in relation to the plot and the characters are written to keep them to their natures as much as plot allowed me, but you know I don't necessarily stick to canon. _

_DISCLAIMER 2: MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS are to be presented as well as some SEXUAL CONTENT that at times might be EXPLICIT. Readers be warned._

_BETA: Another great job performed by the wonderful DOLLHOUSEDISASTER. Girl, I owe you a lot for your wonderful help, Thanks! _

**Chapter 29: THE HUNTER MEETS HIS PREY**

Batman and Gordon arrived at the interrogation room on the third floor of the police station where a Frost waited for them, sitting comfortably at the table. The Detective noted the businessman's shackled hands to a notch on the table. Frost's skin looked pale and sick as it glowed with a slight yellow hue. Dark circles around his eyes along with his sunken cheeks made him look a lot older than the forty something years he really was. This man looked nothing like the man Batman knew from his records or police reports.

For a moment, Frost stopped twirling his thumbs and looked at the detective straight through the one way glass. It was impossible, Bruce thought, the businessman did not know he was coming and there was no way he could not see him from where he sat, but the piecing look on that gaunt face, looked like something sprout from a horror flick. Frost's mouth widened in a smile as he started to twirl his thumbs again; his gaze fixed on the Knight's.

"What has happened to him?" The Knight inquired looking the unhealthy state of Frost's face.

"I don't know. He looks sickly, and not like the pictures we have on record. Either way, he did not seem to make much of it during the six hours of interrogation this morning. "

A guard entered the room with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands that he cautiously set on the table front of Frost. The businessman looked at the cup and then at the guard while raising his shackled hands. The officer shook his head and Frost grabbed the officer's arm and pleaded him to take the shackles off. The cop seemed to freeze momentarily as he stared at Frost's eyes. Batman felt goose bumps. Frost said something unintelligibly and the guard leaned over. The businessman whispered to the guard's ear and then the officer turned to look angrily at the one way glass and directly at the Batman. Frost seemed to enjoy seeing the officer's face tightened and his hazel eyes narrowed to hateful slits. Turning back to the businessman, the officer undid the shackles and stood behind him as Frost grabbed the coffee mug and sniffed its contents.

"He probably has not been getting enough sleep realizing how much trouble he is in. Time to play our hand." Batman said entering into the room while the Commissioner waited on the other side of the one way glass.

"Good morning, Sebastian," the Detective greeted gruffly. Frost did not even look at the upcoming dark figure, but instead stared down the contents in the cup. "You don't look too well."

"I am fine, Batman." Frost pushed the cup of coffee away from him. "They told me about your interrogations. Trying it nice before you let your real self shine through your costume?"

"You said 'they', Frost. Who have you been talking to?"

"To the shadows in my cell." Frost said looking around the room as if searching for something. "There's a lot of anger in this place, Batman. Even more out in the city. They talk to you, and suddenly they have you snared in their loop of darkness..." The businessman said calmly in an almost monotone voice as a cynical smile curved the edges of his mouth. Batman eyed the man curiously; his mind quickly drifting to Plummet's note in his diary.

"I think you have been talking to the wrong crowd, Frost. Did the shadows also tell you to embezzle money from Black Mask's vaults?"

"You have done your homework detective, they also told me you would be hard to fool." Frost put the coffee cup back on the table.

"You really like playing with fire, Frost. We know all about it, and I'm sure Black knows too by now. If you value your life, you'll cooperate with us." For the first time Batman was not sure if Frost would be of any real help since the man spoke as if he has completely lost his mind. "Only we can protect you from Mask when he comes for you."

"Fire…it can purify your soul. Have you ever been touched by fire, Batman? Of course you have, otherwise you would not be the creature of the night." Frost laughed softly. "Oh and for the record…no one is coming for me. I told Gordon's puppets this morning I have not done anything illegal."

"That is not what your computer tells me."

"Mechanical piece of junk…I searched every file and couldn't find a thing. But you have just handed me what I tasted directly from this piece of meat." Frost said lifting his coffee cup as if about to make a toast. "I'm sure they all thank you for confirming what we always suspected. They will reward you accordingly."

_Why do you keep talking in the third person, Frost? Who are they? Could you really have gone mad?_ Batman thought, confused by the vague response.

"Robert, you're making no sense." Batman finally said tired of trying to pierce through the cryptic answers. "Did you or did you not steal money from Sionis' enterprises and transferred it to private accounts?"

"No, but the thief who did it is dead. Justice has been served. Can I go home now? I'm a busy man."

"If you didn't do it, then who did, Robert?"

"The one you call Frost and I made him pay for his affront. No need to worry about him now."

Batman felt a sudden burst of anger after feeling mocked him and lunged at Frost snapping the shackles and forcing the businessman hard against the wall, inches from the one way mirror. The officer in the interrogation room went for his weapon, when through the communicator Gordon advised him to remain calm. Cussing under his breath, the officer let go of the weapon and stepped back a few paces allowing Batman some space.

"You think this is a game, don't you Frost? Do you realize who you have stolen from?"

"I told you Robert Frost is dead. He is the thief you search for. My only crime is killing Frost, and murdering a murderer is no crime, right? The police do it all the time."

"You're not the police and you need a straitjacket. If Robert Frost is dead, then who are you?"

"You are the detective, you tell me, Batman." Frost said sarcastically holding tight to the Detective gauntlets. Batman growled and lifted the businessman a few inches off the floor, which only made Frost smile wide. Frost took a deep sniff of the air around him. "What a pleasant surprise. Your heart is as dark and full of hatred as my father's. Please tell me, what happened to make you so deliciously angry against the world? Was it the loss of those you once held dear? Yes, death, love, and anger, all intermingled in the soul of a boy who blamed the world for his pain."

"What?" Batman said pulling back from Frost with a push. Frosted stumbled back against the glass. Blood startle to trickle down the businessman's nose.

"Frost…are you OK?" Batman inquired when he saw the businessman rush a hand to stop the nosebleed. "Maybe you need to see a doctor."

"Never felt better. But you…oh, you had your blame set in the city and with good reason. The evil in it made you what you are. It poisoned your very soul with rage to make you embrace the dark, but you refuse to let it embrace you fully. You hate this city but at the same time, you vow to protect it. You are indeed such a contradiction detective." Frost laughed heartedly.

"I have no idea of what you're talking about."

"Do you really? And here I thought I had reached your core." Frost wiped his nose on a sleeve and no more blood dripped down. "How long it's been, my friend. Eighteen…no, twenty-two years since they took them away from you?"

Batman was speechless. It had been about twenty years ago he had lost his parents in that dark alley and he had embraced the idea of the vigilante that would prevent what happened to him from happening to any other innocent kid in this city. How did Frost know?

"How… What are you?"

"The very thing that feeds you, Batman. Can't you see? You exist because of me. You and I are one, but you misuse your darkness trying to stop evil. You are not different from the monsters you so try to stop, Detective. Join them and you will see what you've been missing."

"I'm nothing like them, and I don't know what you are hallucinating Frost, but you did not make me."

"Denial is not going to do you any good. I HATE you for not claiming your place in the darkness. We could have been so close."

"Who are you working for?"

Frost remained silent, staring at the Detective's silhouette in front of him as if admiring a work of art. A sinister smile spread across his face. "The dead. The decayed. The forgotten."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You asked and I answered. Follow the corpses to the valley of wails and you definitely see he whom I serve. I was sent to you as a warning, but think that it is a futile endeavor since you have a lot to learn yet. Just be warned. Keep investigating this case and you might find more than you bargained for. I promise."

"You're not scaring me."

"I know. Your rage gives you the illusion of courage. Like when you lost your younger self…the other half of your equation. Remember that day and the promised you made?"

Bruce's brother, Thomas Jr. The reference could not be any more obvious. When he died, his world turned inside out and he promised he would not let anything bring him down. How did this…thing dared mingle his family in this affair? More importantly…how did it know?

Filled again by rage again, Batman lunged at Frost who seemed to be expecting him to do so. Robert sniffed the air and savored it like a beast on the hunt. He smiled and blood started to trickle again from his nose heavier than before. "I can almost taste your anger, Batman. It's so plentiful and intoxicating, that I need to know the source. What is this…one man among many has fed your darkness? Yes, yes…I can almost taste his name through your hatred...see his evil smile shining through your nightmares." Batman forced himself to break the contact a second time, just staring silently at Frost's icy grey eyes.

"I don't know what you are doing…but you better stop now." The Detective warned with a growl.

"Why…because you can't live with the deaths he has caused? They are yours as msuch as his and they have brought you to the brink of the abyss more than once. That much you know. Oh and this man, the ghost that smiles, has tried hard to get you to the point of no return, yet you refuse. Maybe if I could just offer you a friendly push—." The guard put his hands on the businessman's shoulder and pulled Frost away from the Bat guiding him back to his chair by the table. Frost held to the officer's hands as he was pushed down to sit. From the earpieces, Batman could hear Gordon ordering to not interfere. The guard did not move, just stared angrily at the Detective.

"There is something wrong," Batman said glaring back at the officer. "Do you mind leaving us alone, officer?"

"I can't. The prisoner's safety is my responsibility. And you here—" The guard snapped back gruffly. Gordon's said something over the earpiece but the guard did not react to it.

"Leave us now or I'll-." Batman stopped himself from finishing the sentence. He took a deep breath and exhaled long and slow, trying to remain calm and shake this anger that was building inside.

"You OK, Batman? You don't look too well, you look angry." Frost mocked from his seat. Batman glared.

"_Drakerum imdet pur neatoreaum ph'os…" _Batman quoted from the inscription on the back of the mask Joker took from the mansion when suddenly Frost stopped smiling and instead looked intently at the Knight, with his eyes flashed with an orange glow.

"You …should not speak that language." Frost said warningly. His voice a low growl.

"So you know about the inscription on the mask. What does it say?"

"It says you're a fool and definitely no angel." Frost looked at the glass of water and then glanced back to the dark figure in front of him.

"Do you know anything about the three keys of hell? What do they open?"

"Doors. Isn't that what keys open?" Frost responded mockingly.

"Stop being a smart mouth, Frost. You are already in a lot of trouble. I need to know what you and your boss are after. What doors do these keys open?"

"Many doors. Would you believe it is just justice?"

"Really? And what do you know about justice?"

"Justice is an absolute. Just like death. It is just what it is."

"You're games of words are not amusing."

"And I don't find your detective work impressive at all. You're just a man with too many dangerous facts in his head and no real knowledge on how to use them. This is not a game you are ready to play yet."

"Your madness is a game that cannot be played. You are—."

"One of a kind, I know. That is what my father always said, but he had no vision of the future, my old man." Frost looked around him and sniffed the air once more. "I have to leave, but before I do, I will give you a gift: a taste of your own heart. My master, well he will want you to join him for dinner but only when you are really hungry so be patient and trust me when I tell you this game will bring things you might not want to see or feel. But maybe they will make you a lot tastier for someone like me."

"I feel sorry for you. You've completely lost your mind."

"Caring is an old weakness of your species. Rage on the other hand, will make you stronger. Look how far it has taken you." Frost look up at the guard. "I have nothing else to say, so if you're so kind, finish this conversation, Michael."

The guard pulled his gun, and shot Frost on the back of the head, splattering blood on the detective's armor. The impact forced the businessman's body on the table, from where he slid off to the ground. Rage flared in the Knight's chest. How did this man dared take the life of the only living connection to Mask? It was anger like he had never felt before. He just wanted to hit something, kill something in this rage.

The doors to the interrogation room busted open as Gordon forced himself in accompanied by three additional guards. Michael turned around and opened fire at the Commissioner, and fire shots were quickly returned. Michael was hit twice on the chest and fell to the ground. Batman knelt before him and checked his wounds. The guard pushed his hands away.

"They would not have shot me if it had not been for you!" Michael spat angrily spitting blood, "I hate you. I hate you!" The guard turned the gun on himself and pressed the barrel against chin and fired. The bullet entered the lower jaw and exited explosively on the top of the head.

_How could this be my fault?_ Batman thought as the lights in the room went off, leaving them in total darkness and from the darkness, a raspy voice spoke to him. _Taste the deep darkness within. I give you my heart so that one day I may feed on yours. _

Batman took the gun from the dead guard and aimed at Gordon. Anger glowed in through the slits in his mask. He felt the need to pull the trigger and take the Commissioner down as he had just killed his only witness. Gordon ordered his men to hold their fire.

"Batman, put the gun down, NOW!."

The lights came back up and Gordon held his regulation gun tightly in a shaky hand. The other three guards with him followed suit, but seemed more scared of the recent events they have witnessed. The Commissioner just exchange nervous looks between Frost, the guard's body and the Detective standing in front of the table. Batman's anger was slowly starting to dissipate and let go of the gun in his hand. Gordon sighed in relief as one of the officers picked it up.

"Thank God. What the hell was that, Batman?"

"I don't know. I'm not even sure why I grabbed the gun, but I can tell you that the man sitting at that table was not Robert Frost."

"That's nonsense. If he was not Frost then who was he?"

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it was not human." Batman made a short pause to look around for a moment. The recent events had just started to sink in. "It was something very dark and evil..."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was a nice day to be in the park. It always was like that in summer. He could smell the candy corn and the warm popcorn from the carnival and he could hear the children's laughter coming from the large black and red carrousel. He was so excited that he didn't know where to start. It was his carnival, his little world, his home away from home. He didn't have to smell the whiskey in his father's breath or hear the loud arguments between his mom and dad that always ended on her blood being spilled on the floor followed by his own. This was his domain. This was where he belonged and he rushed through the large framed doors when it started to rain and like an old chalk drawing on the pavement, his world started to fade away smeared in the torrential downpour.

"No," he whispered as his heart plummeted to the ground when he saw his world turn into one large gray smudge in front of him. "No, no, no."

"Jay, wake up Jay. What is wrong with you? Wake up, Joker!"

The Jester finally opened his eyes and saw the pudgy face smiling at him with sharp crooked teeth. "Pengy…what the hell?"

"Finally. Thought you were dead or something. What happened to you, Joker? That looks…" Cobblepot took a quick look at the large bruise on the Jester's chest and lower ribs. "…painful."

The Jester took a look at the bruises that had doubled in size in his torso. With a painful effort he tried to sit against the bed's headrest. "Looks worse than what it really is, believe me. Crane confused me with a birthday piñata."

"Scarecrow? He's been acting weird the last few days, but this?"

"And he smells. Didn't you get a whiff of sulfur from him?"

Penguin grimaced. "I usually don't get that close to Crane….but guess what?" Cobblepot leaned over secretively. "I think I'm making an impression on Ivy."

"What?" Joker narrowed his eyes and eyed Oswald in a try to make sense of what he was saying.

"I think that Ivy likes me."

"Did she kiss you?" Joker inquired with a cynical smile on his face.

"How did you know?" Oswald let out with a chuckle that sounded more like the squawks of a dying seagull.

"That would be the only way you could think that she is even remotely attracted to you. You're under the influence of her venom."

"No, I'm not." Cobblepot spat furiously. "You're just jealous, because she prefers me over you."

"No, I'm just sorry, because she's using you." Joker made a pause as he tried turned around to sit at the edge of the bed. By now his muscles felt stiff and painful and the bruises in his chest had started to throb. "She wants something from you that otherwise you would not have given her. Did she ask you for anything special?"

"Jay, I'm really disappointed on you. She's a sweetheart. You just…don't understand her."

"Oh no, I know her too well. Did she ask you about me?"

"SEE? YOU'RE JEALOUS!" Cobblepot barked as he angrily rose from the bed. "Why would she? She is in love with me, not you."

"Sure, whatever Pengy. I'm not gonna argue the point, because you're too obsessed to understand."

"No, I'm not!" Cobblepot retorted, "I'm in love."

"Love can cloud the senses and the toxin that induces it will impair your judgment."

"Says the man who has never loved anything or anybody in his life."

Joker held his breath and narrowed his eyes angrily at Penguin who was quick to respond backing off to the end of the bed. He had gone just over the Jester's limit.

"I have been in love before, Pengy. I know what it feels like. It's like you cannot breathe without that significant other nearby. It's like your world has no meaning if those eyes do not look at you at least once."

"That's exactly what I feel for Ivy."

"That's the way her venomous lips make you feel chum. Wake up and smell the coffee. You are not really in love with her."

"Stay away from my girlfriend." Cobblepot warned dangerously.

"You win, Pengy. You can have the Brussels sprout all to yourself if you want. I don't give a damn. I only want to know why she needed to get so close to you all of a sudden."

"Because she loves me."

"Sure, and I'm just here because I needed some time off from my sulking moods. It was all your idea, remember?"

"That is exactly what I told her."

At that time the Jester understood the advantages of Oswald Cobblepot in this delusional state induced by Poison Ivy's toxin. It was the same as if speaking to a drunk. No inhibitions and a propensity to talk too much as if it was a form of truth serum. Joker smiled and shook his head.

"And I appreciate you for telling her the truth." Joker snickered. "You're a pal."

"Not that you deserve it though…you still want her for yourself."

"Believe me. Botany is not my thing. Zoology is much more fun and rewarding for me."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Joker rose and started to dress up slowly, fighting the pain in his muscles from the beating. "It means that you and Crane, along with Blackie and his menagerie of strange beasts are a species of your own. Believing in demons and the supernatural myths is just not my style."

"Who cares about witches and werewolves?" What about the loads of cash behind this myth? Isn't that worth something to you?"

"You should know that I don't care about money when I just lent you a million clams for this stupid partnership with the stinky corpse. And when I say stinky…I'm not speaking lightly."

"You will get a hundred times more when we put all the puzzle pieces together."

"Sudoku…that is what Nigma is working on, no?"

"No, it's the Book of Mirrors. Ivy and I just brought part of it back from Europe." Cobblepot sighed and smiled with yellowed crooked teeth. "Oh, the irony….falling in love in Paris."

Joker rolled his eyes before going on. "So you got the third book, along with McMaskie's key?"

"What key?"

"To open the Book of Mirrors." Joker motioned his hands as if opening a heavy book. "You know…THE book?"

Cobblepot laughed in what sounded like dissonant seagull squeals. "It is not a real book, silly. It's a mosaic."

"A book that is not a book. That makes no sense, but then NOTHING makes sense in this place. Starts to look like the inside of my head, you know?"

"It's called the Book of Mirrors because each piece of glass is assembled in one particular order, you know, like the pages of a book."

Joker adjusted his vest and the buckle of his pants. "Alice through the looking glass."

"That's what Nigma calls it. He's trying to decipher the pattern of the glass in his book. It's a portal to the vault where the treasure is kept. Once we open the door, the treasure is all ours for the taking." Cobblepot snickered. "And if you don't want your hundred million, then you wouldn't mind I put it to good use after I pay your loan. I want to plan a large wedding…something Ivy will never forget."

"Hundred million? That's how much we're after?"

"No, that's each individual share of the treasure. Of course, Black gets a lot more than that since he's financing this, but hey, I can live with your hundred million and mine. Can you imagine what I can get Pamela with that?"

"A truckload of fertilizer, maybe two…"

"JOKER!"

"What?" The Jester shrugged. "She's a plant. Oh, and I would watch Skeletor closely…It looks like he has his eyes on your precious Venus trap."

"Black? What are you talking about?"

"The way he was looking at her during the meeting…didn't you see that? I think he's watering your little pot plant too."

"Noooo."

"I'm positive. It's not me you need to worry about with your girlfriend the artichoke…it's Black."

"I will keep an eye in that son of a bitch and if he only puts a hand on her beautiful body or even her hair…"

"That's the talk, pal. Protect your masculine pride." Joker said between giggles as he looked at his reflection on a wall mirror while he adjusted his purple bow tie.

"And where are you going…you're not leaving now, right? We still need to search for the warrior that wore your mask."

"Pengy, whoever wore that mask is long dead." Joker chuckled. "Mask said it was older than the Egyptians."

"It has to be his tomb then. It will contain the other half of the spell."

"Spell? And why would you need one, I thought you told me that once Nigma puts together the glass you could claim your prize."

"The door opens only one way…in. To get the treasure out you need the spell."

Joker took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in his chest. "I'm going home for a while. Sharing space with you guys right now feels like I'm back at Arkham. Demons, delusional snowbirds, and psychotic scarecrows…If you add my personal psychoses, I think can make a double strength lunatic smoothie."

"Black will not be pleased, what am I gonna tell him if he asks for you"

"That he can kiss my white skinny ass for all I care." Joker chuckled heading out the door. "Just tell him I'll be back before the UFOs start invading Gotham, will you Ozzy?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Mask stood in the middle of the pentacle, hands extended wide beside him, with blood dripping from his gloved hands. In the floor were the remains of a young man, no older than twenty who spilled blood from a gashing wound to his throat. Black muttered words in an ancient language that no one had spoken in millennia echoed by Gabriel who stood outside the pentacle. His pale skin with a tinge of green contrasted with the dark red cloak he was wearing. They both continued speaking in the forgotten language that had originated in the darkest corners of Hades itself and had served the purpose of spreading the foul darkness from where it had spawn into the heart of a city that had not known anything but dark evil itself since its creation. From the north corner of the circle, and kneeling on the tip of the inverted star that marked the ground, a ghostly figure appeared enveloped in a hot gray cloud of brimstone. The figure, with the face of death itself, no eyes or any recognizable human features in his skeletal frame lowered his gaze upon Black.

"You called, Master." The figure called in a hissing voice that was like that of a snake, slithering through the foliage.

"Did you fulfill your mission?"

"It is done my Lord. Frost was indeed stealing from you, but he has paid dearly for his crime. His soul was as sweet as the fire in Hades itself. Thank you." A forked tongue ran along the open smoky lips of the misty creature.

"It's your reward for a successful mission. We have to get ready for the next step of our plan, before the Detective closes on us."

"He already knows about the keys, the books, and the mask." The figure said. "He spoke the sacred language."

Mask stood still in his place at the pentacle. "What? How come he knows about the keys or the books…and how is it he can speak a language that has been dead since his ancestors came down from the trees?"

"I do not know, my lord, but I believe he does not understand the true meaning of his knowledge."

"Wayne should have told him. We should have killed that man at the mansion." Mask said.

"I was going to do that when your Clown shot me." Gabriel said.

"That stench…like death. Is that you, Gabriel? You don't look well." The misty creature hissed.

"Do not dare to address me as your equal, Rancor. I am your lord and Master."

"You lost your power over me the day your anger consumed your divine soul. Now you belong to me."

"How dare you-!" Gabriel growled. The creature spread his leathery wings and hissed

"That is enough, you two!" Mask snapped standing between them. "Don't you realize what this means? The Detective is closer than we suspected and could interfere at any time. If Batman knew about the keys, how did he find out?"

"Who cares? You still need to find a way to draw the beast into the Abyss. Turning the Batman is going to take time. Time we probably do not have now."

"Know thy enemy, Gabriel." Rancor hissed. "If you would have tasted his soul like I have, you'll know exactly what to do to bring him over the edge."

"You…tasted him?" Gabriel said with an obvious expression of disgust in his decaying face. "The thought is just repulsive."

"But it is also the most useful weapon of a Hunter." Black said glancing towards Rancor. "What is our enemy's weakness? Tell me what you know."

"It is not a what, but a who, my Lord." Rancor hissed. "A man who has brought the Batman to the verge of darkness more than once."

"Joker…"

"Yes. The Clown Gabriel despises so much." Rancor responded with a smirk.

"But the other rogues have hurt him many times before, Hunter." Gabriel retorted angrily at being mocked so openly. "That's why they have been selected among many. They have brought him to the edges of the abyss. Why is the Clown so special?"

"The Joker has caused the deepest scars to this man's soul increasing his anger and his rage. He killed the boy wonder under the Batman's care as well as physically maimed one of his closest allies. And not happy with that he tried to drive the Commissioner utterly mad. And he also murdered the Commissioner's wife in cold blood. The list is endless."

"And how does that make him different from the others?"

"He is the only one Batman has ever wanted to kill out of pure rage. And not just kill but make him suffer for each and every death and sorrow Joker has caused."

"And then, he has never killed him." Black responded.

"Because the Joker pulls back at the last moment, but I'm positive that if he had a reason to keep pushing, that Clown will succeed and Batman will cross the line and stain his soul with blood. His pure heart will become forever tainted by the most abhorrent act known to man."

"…killing the Clown. Somehow, I find that idea…appealing." Gabriel said.

Mask motioned Gabriel to silence. "I had hoped Joker would serve as a flesh vessel for my brother, but maybe he's destined to become instead the one final key to fulfill our mission and free my brother."

"That is, if the mortals decipher the clues in time. We should be working with the clues instead of leaving that sensitive task to people like Nigma." Gabriel protested.

"Mortals are beasts of burden, leave them the harsh labor. It is not our place to waste our time in such meaningless tasks as is not yours to antagonize me." The albino bowed and retreated a few paces.

"But Joker has no loyalties and for reasons we don't know, he pulls back just before pushing the Batman into the abyss. What makes you think you can make him work for us?"

"Exploiting his weakness…his ego." Black snapped. "I know this clown well."

"With all due respect, my Lord," Gabriel warned. "I don't think you do."

A bright ball of fire ignited at Black's feet and expanded explosively taking down both the foggy creature and Gabriel. Black walked over his second in command. "Do not defy me anymore, Gabriel, or you will get nothing from my brother or me."

"But what if Joker doesn't want Batman to kill him? It's a game both have played for years. Have you thought that there might be a reason why the Clown pulls back at the last moment when he's so close?"

"Then we make him play by our rules, like we did with Dent and Crane."

"I could eat his soul, like I did Galindo's and then Frost's after him. Wonder what madness tastes like…" Rancor hissed savoring his own darkness.

"Not yet. The Clown is his best, when he is his own and does what he loves doing best…chaos." Mask turned to Gabriel who was just glaring at him behind glassy eyes. "We just need the right incentive."

"Another challenge?"

"Yes, one that he cannot resist. I am sure he would like to play with his favorite toy."

"And what about the keys and the books? The Batman knows about them as well."

"When I saw inside him. He just had facts." Rancor said.

"Pieces of a puzzle he still needs to put together. His knowledge is of no consequence if we move fast enough. The ball is still in our court."

"For now…" Gabriel said to himself avoiding being overheard by Rancor and his Lord.


	30. Descent

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

_**Author's Notes:** Hello friends. Here you have another chapter that I hope will be of your liking. Just a few things about the chapter. First of all, I know it's slightly longer than usual, but believe me, I think it's worth it since this chapter is a turning point in the story and it deserve some space. Also take notice that though there are some reference to things and events from the Batman canon, this chapter in no way tries to stay true to canon (I believe that canon is what comic books are for). The same goes to the mythology developed for this story. I'm not religious, and this story does not follow any particular belief, dogma or creed. It just developed as the story progressed, thanks to good Mr. Muse, and for the most part it is just adapted for this story with little bits from here and there mixed with a little imagination._

_Like always, remember that your opinion counts so feel free to review and comment on this chapter at your leisure. I, as an author, find great delight on hearing you out. The readers are our audience, and we need you to make these stories happen. Please let me know what you think_

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters belong solely to DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS, so please read responsibly._

_BETA: This is another chapter beta-ed by the great DOLLHOUSEDISASTER. Without her help, this story would be a lot harder to write, so_ THANKS A MILLION to my dear friend.

**Chapter 30: Descent**

Black Mask arrived at the old warehouse-turned-hideout accompanied by half a dozen of his men who quickly scattered, searching all the rooms for any criminal inside. Penguin, Poison Ivy, Nigma, and Fries, along with three other thugs, all of them in light clothing, were gathered in the living room. The Gangster looked around searching through the confused faces.

"Where is Mr. Dent?"

Crane inched forward and stared down to examine the floor in detail. "I sent him to retrieve some documents from the National Library in Washington."

"And you didn't tell me?" Black responded angrily. Crane retreated in fear. "Who do you think you are?"

"You were so busy, master. I thought I could…."

"That is your problem…stop thinking and just obey me. My orders were very simple: any movement of personnel has to be approved by me…only me." Black's tone was menacing and Crane seemed to shrink a few inches where he stood.

"But …but I wanted to expedite Nigma's work. He had reached a standstill."

Black looked at Riddler as if expecting an explanation. And Nigma, shifting nervously where he stood, removed his bowler hat to absentmindedly tame his red mane. "There…there were some pages missing from that book you gave me, Black," Nigma paused as if expecting Black to say something. "Crane said that he knew of copies made at the National Library."

"Pages missed? How?" Black advance, staring curiously between Crane and Nigma. "Those books have been in our possession for a long time. Who would mutilate the books?"

"Don't look at me," Edward responded with a shrug, "I got the merchandise already damaged. And some pages have been missing for a loooooong time."

"And they stunk of the Lords of Order." Crane hissed spitefully. "They mutilated the book, Lord Black."

"What about the other pages. You said not all have been gone for that long." Black inquired.

"Can't tell, only that they smelled human."

"We must have had a traitor in our mists. We should search him and punish him accordingly. How could they, that was our sacred legacy," a man in Black's escort rumbled.

The gangster raised a gloved hand and silence permeated the room. Black glanced at the psychiatrist who still didn't dare to meet his gaze. "Were you able to find the missing pages, Crane?"

"For the most part. Many have been cross-referenced through other myths."

"Good, because without them, we'll never reach the treasure." A man in a dark trench coat and dark glasses said from the end of the hall. The sharp teeth filled mouth could not be mistaken: The White Shark.

"True, very true Warren, but what has been done is done. Crane, I want you to monitor Dent closely and make sure he retrieves the copies Riddler needs. Assist Mr. Nigma to finish the decoding of the book as soon as possible. And I would appreciate if you refuse to follow any type of initiatives before speaking to me first. Understood?"

"Not to worry, Master Black." The psychiatrist responded with a gentle bow. "This will not happen again."

"Master Black?" Cobblepot whispered trying to hold onto Pamela's hand, that she shook violently severing the contact with Penguin's stubby hand. "What the hell is wrong with Crane, sweetie? Black's definitely not my master." Pamela ignored the question as she studied the psychiatrist closely.

Black looked around him. "And where's Joker?"

The silence in the room grew long and tense in the room. Black eyes glowed in the sockets as his anger grew not from the lack of response but from the unpredictability of the Clown as well as his obvious inability to follow orders. If this endeavor was to succeed, the pieces in Black's chess board needed to be move according to a very precise plan, not a demented psychopath's crazy whims and the Joker had quickly become the most difficult chessman to play.

"Probably in his room licking his wounds," Fries said stepping forward into the group. "After good Dr. Crane here did us all a favor and beat him to a pulp."

"He's injured and nobody checked on him?" Black snarled motioning to one of his henchman to check the Joker's room. He then gave Scarecrow a hateful glare. "Another one of your initiatives, Crane?"

"He dared interrupt Edward in his work and insulted me. I just taught him some respect."

"And a very painful lesson it was…thanks Crane." Victor added with a chuckle. "I'll make sure you get rewarded."

"You forget how important everybody is to this mission, doctor. Including the Joker."

"His soul is still intact, my Lord. I just showed him…what could happen if he interrupted our work again."

"His soul?" Penguin muttered again to Pamela who continued ignoring him. "Why does he care for his soul? They're all crazy. Jay is definitely better off away from here."

"He's not in his room, sir." The henchman announced as he returned. Black heard whispers on the back of the room and saw Cobblepot talking to Poison Ivy.

"Anything you want to share with the group, Mr. Cobblepot?"

Oswald, feeling under the spotlight started to sweat and shook his head wishing the earth would just swallow him now. He felt his throat tie into a knot as words escaped him. Pamela turned to face Penguin and smiled tenderly at him taking a hand to caress his round pudgy face.

"Why don't you tell Black what you just told me…Ozzie."

"But dove…please…"

"Come on Ozzie, do it for me." Pamela insisted in her most sensual voice.

"He was badly injured…" Cobblepot whispered.

"So you told me, but do you know where he would have gone?" Pamela's voice was so intoxicatingly powerful that Penguin could not take his eyes off those bright red lips as she spoke. Her voice was music to his ears. "Do you really want to lose all that cash for a rogue clown, Ozzy?"

"No…I…really…" Penguin started to say as Ivy tenderly caressed his double chin. Cobblepot started purring through a toothy smile. "Don't stop, Ivy…please."

"Oswald Cobblepot!" Mask's voice reverberated like thunder in the small room. "Do you or do you not know where Joker is now?"

"He said…" Oswald hesitated, but finally agreed with a smile when Pam kissed him on the forehead and motioned towards Black, "He said that he was going home…for a while. But he was going to be back."

"He wasn't supposed to leave in the first place. Now where is his home, Mr. Cobblepot?" Black inquired. Pamela gave Oswald a passionate kiss on his mouth and spoke to his ear. The Penguin giggled.

"Only Joker would know. He is like that. Impulsive."

"I know he's impulsive, but there has to be a place he prefers. I need a more specific answer, Oswald." Black insisted. Pamela messed with the thinning black hair on top of Penguin's head. "I need Joker back here now or none of you will get paid for this."

"I… I would say either his favorite novelty store in Cleveland Avenue, whatever remains of the Monarch card factory, or at the old carnival grounds. I don't know." Oswald sighed as Pamela ran a soft hand down his pudgy cheek and holding her hand between his thick stubby fingers, looked intensely into her green eyes. "Kiss me again, Ivy."

Black turned to his henchmen. "You heard the man, boys. Divide in teams, take Hunters with you and bring Joker here, even if you have to drag him in a straitjacket…just make sure is still in one piece. I'm tired of his whimsical behavior and its time I'll teach him how to follow orders."

"Hunters, Black?" Fries inquired. Black pondered on the answer.

"Consider them as the special ops of the Army, but instead they work for me. Useful bunch." He glanced to his men. "What are you waiting for? Bring me that Clown!"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker poured himself a large glass of milk and stacked a few fresh Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies beside his glass. It felt good to be back. He had not come to the carnival in ages, and though the air was damp and stale, he felt like he had arrived home. Carnivals always brought a smile to his face and this one in particular had become a place of retreat where he could think and plan his shows when he performed for the city and his Bat.

He reclined in the old brown armchair, propping his feet on a worn red ottoman and remembered the anger he felt towards Crane during the fight. No, not just anger…he wanted to kill the Scarecrow. He knew that feeling very well, but then his anger turned to fear when he heard his name spoken…his real name. Fear that quickly turned to a deep pain in his heart…all the things Jack could have been but never will be….

That was a name no one knew and time had forgotten, and no one, not even the police or the Asylum knew. How did Crane know? And how did he know about Jeannie? Whatever reason, it made him to feel vulnerable, but what really terrified him was Jonathan Crane himself. He could not remember Crane being so strong or so…terrifying. Being beside him was like being run over by a bulldozer and not only that, the pain Crane inflicted was not only physical but emotional. He felt crushed by the years of regrets, his losses and he thought pain and despair were almost unbearable. The pain was just too deep. He'd better keep his distance from the Spook, until he could figure out what was going on.

"No, no, no…no time to think about that." Joker said taking another sip of his milk. "Skeletons to bury, bats to love, scarecrows to burn. So much to do, so little time..."

Time to prove Batman he really wanted to help by supplying him with the clues to end this mystery that was becoming creepier by the minute. He couldn't have them delivered to the playboy's home or to Gordon's office, for openly exposing his partnership with the Detective. The world was not ready for that, and instead it could hurt the Detective. _No, don't want to see that bat hurting because of me_, Joker whispered to himself.

After much consideration, only one resolution appeared evident. Send it to the second person that knew Batman: Vicky Vale. No one would ignore an anonymous package from a concerned citizen that wanted to reveal the world about what Black and his boys club was over. Yes, genius! Gordon would believe that this was just another random attack on the reporter, and the package would probably end in the Detective's end anyways. It was a flawless plan. Even Lou, Punch and Herman couldn't mess this one up even if they tried.

Joker looked at his watch and sighed. His boys were taking a little longer than expected to do the delivery and he had to return to Mask's hideout before his absence could be interpreted as desertion. A little rebellious attitude would be acceptable given his unpredictable nature, but challenging Black's orders now was literally suicide. Besides, he wanted to be there when Bats rained in his creepy parade.

Stuffing his mouth with a cookie, he bagged the rest in a Ziploc and walked over to the kitchenette to put the bag away in a covert. That is when he noticed a grayish smoke had started to build inside the RV, covering the floor up to his ankles.

_Jack._

From within the smoke, a disembodied raspy voice spoke close to his ear calling at him through the forgotten name…_Crane? How the hell could he find me? _Joker thought as he forced himself to swallow his cookie dry and almost choked on it.

"What an interesting creature you are. Why do you fight your nature, funny man?" He heard the raspy voice again and noticed it was not out there, but in his head. The smoke on the floor felt like snow in his feet, cold and wet. He sniffed the smoke, and could detect the hint of brimstone in it. He did not like that a bit.

"Ok, this smoke is getting into my head. I need fresh air," Joker said rushing to the door with his hand still over his nose and mouth.

As he started down the stairs of the RV, he stumbled and fell heavily on his side. Suddenly he was painfully reminded of his bruises from the fight with Crane. Someone laughed behind him, and as he turned angrily to see who dared mocking him, he saw a black shadow coalesce from the thick smoke and stand at the RV's door, staring down amusingly at him.

"Hello Joker, old friend," the figure spoke and Joker listened mesmerized. The shape started to glide down the stairs. "Why do you want to live your life as a dead man? Didn't you kill this man to become the terrifyingly funny Joker everybody's scared off? You had the spotlight, friend. Why wanting to sit on the backseat now? You are such a living contradiction, like the man you're obsessed with. Come here and let me taste your mad soul a little longer…"

As Joker tried to stand he noticed the thick smoke around him and felt a pair of hands reach deep into his shirt and pants. He recoiled and giggled.

"Hey, Stop! That tickles you…smog," Joker said brushing off the invisible hands touching him. Joker saw the faceless shadow gliding down the stairs of the trailer to merge with the cloud surrounding him and couldn't hold a chuckle. "Great…I'm talking to smoke now? I am officially psychotic again. DANNY! BRING ME MY STRAITJACKET!"

"Danny is not here… just you and me, so let's make this worth it." The cloud of dark smoke swirled around him and Joker, moving fluidly like an experienced ballroom dancer, spun out of reach and started to back off speaking to the air.

"What the heck are you …and what do you want?"

"I am your heart and I want you to tell me why can't you embrace that darkness lurking within you? It calls your name, Jack," The fog hissed again, enveloping the Jester in its thickness. "You have even more hatred in that heart than I had tasted in the Batman's. FEED THAT DARKNESS. What a succulent dish you could be to satisfy my hunger…"

_Crap, _Joker thought as he imagined himself at a picnic…served as the main dish_. _

"Whoever you claim to be, this Clown is not in the menu," Joker responded as he forgot about the pain and aches in his body and sprinted towards the house of Mirrors a few yards behind him. When he arrived at the attraction, he found the entrance boarded shut with dark moldy plywood and rotted four-by-fours. He looked behind him and saw the cloud of smoke slithering slowly towards him, killing all the grass it touched.

Joker rammed the wood planks that gave way without resistance as he rushed to turn on the power in the Mirror House. An old scratched recording of carnival music started to play through the moldy speakers, and the entrance lighted up like a Christmas tree. The Jester rushed through the maze of dusty mirrors and deeper into the building. The lights started to dim as bulb after bulb started burning out from years of disuse. By the time he reached the circus themed room on the back, the only thing left of the lamps glow was an eerie twilight that bounced from the circus props, giving out strange and menacing shadows against the wall.

On the back of the room stood a twelve foot tall figure of a Harlequin in faded gold and blue costume with both arms extended high above its head to support the faded red-draped ceiling. Joker knelt on the floor by the figure and searched at the base of the clown retrieving two .38 Smith and Wesson revolvers and a UZI with three full clips. One thing he had learned all this years as a criminal mastermind: always be prepared to confront the cops, even if it meant hiding a complete arsenal in a family attraction. He put the guns in his pockets and strapped the UZI around a shoulder, readying it with a switch of the lock. He then waited for the strange cloud to make an entrance…

…but nothing happened. His eyes had adapted to the scarce light and he could feel the sickening presence somewhere close to him, but he couldn't see any smoke yet. He was getting upset…and angry now. There was only one way into the fun house, and the wait was driving him nuts.

Joker's grip on the UZI tightened. Maybe he just imagined it all but the thick cloud of smoke had felt real and close. Anger starter to build up in him; anger as he had not felt ever before.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps from the hall that led from the entrance and saw the dark mist peeking from a corner. He emptied the first clip of his UZI on the intruder and the large figure fell to the ground with a thud. He rushed to the body, in case he needed to finish the deed, when he saw the man's face. It was one of Black thugs now covered in bullet holes. Not the best scenario, but why has Black sent this man after him?

"Are you finished lashing your anger and hatred to mere mortals, Jack? I can offer you a more interesting game. Let's play. If I win, I'll get to taste your madness…" The raspy voice said from behind and above his head.

"Eat lead…you…smog!" Joker giggled triumphantly emptying the whole UZI clip into the tent roof. Pieces of fabric and plaster rained over him and light entered the tent through a large hole above. Not the best of ideas, but he had to get rid of this thing after him. "God, what I would give to have an HEPA filter right now…"

"What a waste of meat you mortals are…" The voice said. It was all around him, but how was that possible? Joker reloaded his gun and reclined against the clown statue. His heart pounded in his chest and he could hear the blood rushing through his veins. He was…angry, very angry and he wanted to see something die tonight. Nothing funnier than a happy murder.

"I can smell your fury from here Joker. Lash more of that violence you know you enjoy so much. There is nothing better than to have people fear you, you've said it yourself. Give them a reason to hate you…then kill them all. Your last joke…your bloodiest punch line."

"Will you shut up and just leave me alone? I will kill you, I swear!"

"Of course you will, you don't' arm yourself like you have to just show off at the parade. You armed yourself to kill. And you know all about killing, don't you, Joker?"

Joker lowered his UZI and shook his head dismissively. He had wanted so bad to not have to hurt or kill anybody and where has it all led to? One…not…two of Black's men dead at his hands and now this thing is reminding of how good it felt to kill. He wanted to see something die tonight. Yes, he was a murderer and nothing was going to change that.

"Come out and play, Joker. Your fear mingled with your hatred in an equation of pure rage that tastes soo good. Like blood after a massacre. Denying what you are is just a waste of time. Nobody loves you, and nobody ever will. Not with all this blood in your hands. Just get rid of them all…"

"I…am sorry. I just wanted—."

"To be loved? What a repulsive idea. Look how hard you've tried and the bodies keep piling up. The Bat will never forgive you for failing so miserably. Don't waste your time."

"What do you want from me? Did Black send you?" Joker's grip on the UZI tightened. He could feel the darkness so close.

"So many questions. You made a pact with Black to serve him and what you do…run away like a scared bunny. Are you hiding something from him, Jack? Are you hiding something from me?

"You people are insane. Demons, spells, witches and UFO's are just too much for me."

From above, a dark shadow dropped in front of him. Black as the night with eyes that glowed white like heated metal. "Jaaaack….."

Joker opened fire without a second thought and the figure spun in the air and fell sprawled on the ground. Around it a large black mantle flapped and finally rested on him. The Jester walked slowly towards the dark shadow on the floor to take a look. To his horror, he recognized the silhouette of the cowl and cape.

"God…no…BATMAN!" Joker said throwing his gun to the floor to run to the downed figure. Blood sipped from the corner of the Detective's mouth. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were that… thing. BATMAN, please don't die on me. DON'T DIE!"

"Now see what you've done to me your murderous maniac…" the figure said glaring at him. "You've killed the thing you said you loved most. Just like you tried to kill what I loved the most. You're a monster! I hate you!"

"No, no NO!" Joker screamed holding tight to the Batman's cape. "I didn't want this to happen."

"But it will happen." The figure said transfiguring again into the large mass of goo in cowl and cape. The figure pushed the Clown back hard against the large carnival statue and pressed hard on the Joker, until it was hard to breath. "Because deep inside you want it to happen."

"WHAT? NO! How did you-? You wear Kevlar…you should not have felt a single bullet." Joker's green eyes opened wide in terror. "You're not real either."

The caped form rose to his feet and glared at the clown. The figure's cape slowly started to wrap around the Jester tightly. "Maybe I'm not, but your dark nature is. You've wanted this before. That sweet darkness that dwells in you, seasoned with your anger. I want you to feed on them forever. Oh…what's this, Joker man? You have one more secret to share with me tonight? You planned on selling Black to the Bat, didn't you clever little clown? Naïve, but dastardly brave."

"Me? No,no. You've been misinformed." Joker responded nervously trying to undo the coils of blackness that had started to engulf his lower legs and arms immobilizing him. "Can we talk this over cookies and milk?"

"Your dark heart does not lie, Joker." The shadow hissed. "You want me to tell you what you did? First the confetti…then the cards. And let's not forget what you told him at the gala. And you gave him the master key. You are a traitor and Lord Black will not appreciate that."

How in hell did that thing know about Batman? It must have read his mind somehow, he reasoned. He wasn't ready to share any more secrets today. Joker tried to reach something he could use as a weapon and free himself before the smoke had a chance to pry deeper in his head.

"And once I deliver you, he will let me feed on your heart: so black and full of anger against the world that had taken away your happiness. Your hatred could feed an army of us, Joker. Set it free. I can't wait to savor it!"

"What is it with you and eating people?" Joker said trying to pry the grip that held him against the statue. "Stop talking like a zombie and fight me like a man."

"As you wish, Joker." The cloud of darkness responded as he once more coalesced into the shape of a man, in his mid-fifties with peppered black hair and a lip thin moustache over his mouth. His eyes were red, and he could smell the sickening smell of whiskey from him. He knew that smell so well, smelt it long enough to hate it as he hated the man in front of him that wore the whiskey proudly as his trademark perfume. "Hello son. How have you been?"

"What…are…you?"

"You wanted to talk to a man and who better than me to show you what a man should be. You've been a bad boy, son."

"You're not my father." Joker growled at the figure.

"Says who? I know all about you. You sent me to hell and felt so proud about it, didn't you? Now I'm here and you're soul is mine for the taking."

"No. You are dead…you're not real." Joker took a whiff of the stale whiskey he knew too well.

"Smell and watch closely to see how real I am. You swore you'll never be like me and here you are, doing exactly what I did: kill whatever you found annoying. If your mother was not dead, she would die all over again…dissapointed."

"Stay away from me or I will kill you again, I promise. You have no power over me anymore."

"Really, you do believe that? You're such as stupid as you were before, renouncing to the gift I gave you when I showed you what to do to the world when the world beat you down. Chaos and death are the only way to peace."

"I can be more that you ever were."

"No you can't. The woman that loved you is dead because of you and the man you claim to love hates you. Look where you are and tell me how is this is any better than the murderous clown in his insane world? At least he made you happy. Murder always brought a smile to your face."

"But pushed everybody away…" Joker complained. "And Batman does not hate me. He said so himself."

"Why would you care now about people now, son? Before, only you mattered." The man smiled sinisterly. "Oh, and the man you think you love does not give a damn about you. He does not believe you can change. Neither do I."

"You're lying."

"Am I? Then what happened at the gala was just a fig of your imagination. You had to tell him about the clues, because they did not believe them. He could not see beyond your murderous grin, son. He never will accept your change of heart. For him…it is just another one of your lies."

"Liar! He will see what I've done for him. He will understand."

"Yeah, when hell freezes over. You know he did not get the clues the first time, what makes you think he will get the ones you sent him now?"

Joker stared silently at the old man in front of him. How did he know about the clues and the hints he had sent the Batman with Lou and Punch. This was not his father, but a monstrosity that was feeding in his memories and darkest emotions like a siphon feeding at the bottom of a fish tank.

"What are you?" Joker said between gasps. He felt his energy drained and his rage build deep within.

"I am your ever loving father, Jack." the man said caressing the Clown's angled face tenderly. Joker shook the hand off him.

"You can't be my father…I killed him myself. What are you?"

"My name is Rancor…hatred itself created from the darkness of Lucifer's heart and I feed on mortals' as angry as you." The figure chuckled. "I tasted the dark soul of your bat and deep inside he just feels disgust for you. Just like right now I taste betrayal in your heart. You have so much hatred in your heart Joker, but in conflict with a misplaced sense of hope that only stains the beauty in the Clown's really chaotic essence. What a waste. Contaminated with the illusion of an imaginary love that will never save you from your darkness. Reach deep inside Joker and you'll know what I'm saying is true."

Joker stopped struggling to think what Rancor had told him. If the Batman hated him what was he trying to prove? Everything he had done, everything he had tried to become was a total waste of time. But he wasn't ready to give up yet, not until he knew for sure for if any of this was indeed the truth, there is was nothing else to live for. Madness was the only thing that made any sense.

"Tell me ugly, you do you have the balls to face me without hiding behind all that pollution and fancy magic tricks?" The darkness growled.

The cloud of darkness lifted the Joker and threw it across the tent and hard against one of the support columns that held the decaying roof. Joker felt a rib crack and fell hard to the ground moaning. The air around him became thick and ice cold as a tight hand wrapped around the Jester's neck lifting him from the floor. In front of him, the smoke took several shapes, and finally settled for Commissioner Gordon's form, dressed up in a dark leather trench coat.

"Oh I have more tricks in me than you can imagine. What you did to this man broke the mold of evil perversity. You crippled his child to drive him mad and excuse your twisted sense of humor by looking like the victim of circumstances. And you really expect the Bat to forgive that? Gordon should have blown your head off when he could…but then, I would have been denied of savoring your darkness now."

"Stop, please." Joker broke between gurgles as he fought the Commissioner's grip.

"Is that you begging, funny man? What happened to your indomitable spirit?"

"Not…begging. Just need you to…stay still so I can…" Joker retorted as he pulled the Smith and Wesson and opened fired at the Commissioner's face until both guns were empty. Gordon's hole-ridden face just smiled as the man tightened the grip around the clown's neck and lifted the Jester from the ground. Joker let go of the guns and

"That is what I like about you. Let's see now if you can take as well as you give" Gordon's face disappeared and instead formed an exact replica of the Joker. Rancor slammed the Jester against the floor and kicked him hard in his mid section. Joker moaned in pain. "I wonder how much fun it would be to be you for once 'cause I'm gonna put a big smile on your face…"

"Shut up…"

"Make me. I dare you. Did you hear the one about the Clown in love with the bat? I'm afraid it does not end too well for the Clown."

"I said….SHUT…THE…FUCK…UP!" Joker yelled letting out a loud growl as he lunged at his twin. With a swing of his dark arm, the doppelganger Clown slammed Joker against the wall. The figure slapped him, causing him to bleed from his mouth then a dark column of dark smoke wrapped around his neck and lifted him a few feet off the floor, tightening slowly. The pressure constricted his windpipe as he fought uselessly to breath. Joker thrashed violently as he tried to loosen himself from the asphyxiating grip.

"Any witty words now, brother Joker?" The figure hissed

"Boring…piece…(agck!)…of smog!" Joker responded as the world started to close down on him in darkness.

The twin Clown tossed the Jester across the room. Joker hit the wall with enough force to leave a dent on the gypsum panel before hitting the floor. But that was not all. The attacked continued relentlessly. A kick in the lower abdomen, another jab to the face and then dragged over the floor like a ragdoll and thrown forcefully against the old walls, where splinters of rotted wood scrapped his skin. Joker finally landed over an old carrousel horse by the entrance and slid down to the floor.

He tried to crawl away from the cloud of dark smoke, with blood dripping from his mouth and nose but he couldn't get far. The dark figure wrapped a black tentacle of smoke around his neck and lifted the limp figure high above the ground. Joker was barely fighting the smoke monster now that shook him violently as if teasing him for more violence. Green curls of wet hair covered his almost closed eyes as he started to fade away from consciousness. Blackness surrounded him and voices were just a distant unintelligible echo. The tentacle released him and he hit face down the concrete floor and everything went black.

"That felt good," the dark cloud of darkness hissed into the Jester's ears as if he could hear him."Now let's see if Lord Black would be as benevolent as I when he sees the hideousness of your treason, Jack."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You want me to do what?" Robin said loudly looking incredulously at Bruce's blue eyes. He had seen the Knight change after his incarceration at the Joker's hands, making him doubt himself and hindered his work, but what he had just heard had confirmed him that Bruce had just lost his mind.

"I've arranged you to meet with Zatanna, Dr. Fate and a few other mystic members of the League. All I'm asking you to do is get their feelings about the evidence we have on the Black Mask case."

"What evidence? Frost? From what you told me the guy was nuts. Oh and let's not forget…Mask is dead."

"No, Frost was possessed. He was pulling very private information on me about my parents, Jason…even Joker," Bruce made a pause, "and all the leads end with Black Mask, dead or not."

"You must be kidding me, Frost knew about Jason? This is creepy, but the occult? Come on."

"I have hit a wall in the investigation. I don't want to believe in all this superstitious mumbo-jumbo either, but I can't explain what I've been seeing and hearing in the last few days, at least not using the scientific method. Maybe the League knows something more we can use to get this mystery solved."

"Yes Bruce, but the supernatural?"

"When an event defies explanation based on tangible facts, we are left with the intangible and supernatural. I cannot explain all this logically, maybe the Zatanna and her friends can."

"All right. I trust your instinct. But if they laugh at me, I'm telling them you sent me, OK?" Tim turned to get his bike and leave the cave when he noted the black-leather clad figure perching over a rock platform on the far end of the main vault. After being discovered, the dark figure leaped off the platform onto the mail level of the garage. "Um, Bruce…I think you got visitors."

"I had called you twice and you didn't answer, Selina." Batman asked the familiar figure. He could tell from the way she sat and held to the rock underneath her that she was not here in good terms.

"Must have been my AT&T connection." She retorted in a very dry and acid tone, jumping from the platform to the cave's main level. "We can talk now…alone if you don't mind." Catwoman hissed at the Boy Wonder as she sat on one of the forensic tables in the lab section of the cave.

"Okay," Drake said feeling an uncomfortable tension on the air as he got in his bike and turned it on. "I have work to do. See you later, Batman." With a loud roar, the bike disappeared down the main access roadway.

"I don't like your tone, Selina." Batman said dryly, "especially not in front of my son."

"Good, because I don't like your attitude either. Especially around HIM."

"Tim? I don't understand." Bruce responded walking down the stairs from the bat-computer station to meet her. He couldn't help to notice her frown behind the polarized goggles.

"You're either deaf or a lousy detective. There is something between you and the Clown, something you're not telling me."

"Joker has nothing to do with this. Frost is dead, Selina. So is Galindo. The thing I interviewed at MCU was not from this realm. It was angry and evil."

Selina scrutinized Bruce with cold blue-green eyes. "I don't know Bruce. You have been acting really strange lately. You don't seem to care that Joker knows you are Batman and that I'm Selina Kyle."

Maybe because it is not important?" Batman retorted angrily."He doesn't know."

"There you go…lying to me again." Selina stomped her feet on the floor. "WHY?"

"Selina, I have a lot more to worry about to be wasting time talking about Joker."

"But it is all about Joker, isn't it? Ever since he got you in that basement and tortured you. I thought at first that you were trying to prove yourself, but it is as if you're giving that clown any chance you can to escape. Why? What exactly is going on here?"

"Nothing, you're imagining things."

Selina rose to meet him and slapped him in the face. "I won't tolerate you lying to me, even less you calling me crazy, Bruce! What did Joker want with you the other night? I doubt he wanted the millionaire…I think he was speaking to the vigilante."

"Joker…Joker wanted me to get a message to Batman." Bruce said knowing he was lying again, but the truth was something no one close to him was going to be able to understand.

"What message?"

For a moment he hesitated answering, but her eyes pierced him like a red hot poker. "What Mask and his criminal organization are after."

"And you believed him? Come on, Bruce. It's Joker, for God's sake!"

"Joker wants Black out of the picture."

"Really, Joker is all heart, isn't he?" Kyle responded cynically.

"You don't understand. He had information I was able to corroborate. He was not lying."

"And I'm Marilyn Monroe," Selina sputtered removing the hood from her head and messing her short black hair."See the resemblance now?"

"Selina please." Bruce pleaded when he realized the fury in her eyes had just added another wall between them. He was not going anywhere trying to reason with her. "Sionis is not dead."

"Of course he's dead, I killed him." Catwoman stopped to look intently into his sky blue eyes. Her eyes narrowed as fury enveloped her, fueled by all the memories of what Sionis and his organization had done to her and her family. "You saw his body too, you attended his funeral…he's dead. He HAS to be dead."

"There are a lot of strange things happening in Gotham. I have a hunch that Sionis is somehow, as improbable as it seems, behind all of it."

"I told you, HE'S DEAD!" She insisted aggressively. Knowing that Black was dead was the only way she could deal with the pain he made her go through. For her own sanity, she needed Black Mask very dead.

"They seem to be involved in some type of cult. Something dark. I'm concerned that there might be powers involved here that we might not be able to contain."

"And Joker can? Because he's helping you in the case, right?"

Bruce took a moment to think his answer. Even hinting for a moment that Joker was capable of doing anything for someone else, would make him look like an idiot, but he had seen a side of the Jester no one else had ever seen. For once, he had met the man behind the Clown mask.

"Well? Is he helping you?" Catwoman insisted.

"Yes."

Selina couldn't hold her disappointment as she crossed her arms over her breasts and looked away to the darkness of the cave. She esteemed Bruce for the man he was, but also for the Detective he was. Seeing him fall prey of a master manipulator like Joker made her sick to her stomach for she had known the Clown up close and knew the only thing that Joker ever wanted was to satisfy his murderous sense of humor, unleash the wrath of all that darkness inside, just to get a kick out of human misery. Nothing good could ever come from that monster.

"And what makes you think Joker is not playing one of his games with you?"

"Told you, I have been able to corroborate all his leads…"

"That is not enough for me. Don't you see through his lies? Sionis IS DEAD!"

"It is enough for me," Bruce said brusquely, walking over to the small computer station at forensics. "Selina, you have to believe me…"

"I don't know if I can, Bruce. Joker has gotten to you, manipulated you like a little kid…."

"This time he's on our side…somewhat."

"What the hell did he do to you?" Batman's silence gave her the answer she was searching for. "What else are you not telling me, Bruce?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker was surprised by an unexpected shower of icy water that woke him from his painful slumber. He tried to rise from the floor when he realized his wrists and ankles were chained to the cobblestone floor; the short chains allowing him to only just sit or kneel and neither position was comfortable at all after all that beating at the carnival that had left his body on fire.

Once he had oriented himself, he realized he was in what seemed like a basement and definitely not alone. He looked around and saw Black, the cloud of dark smog and another figure he didn't recognize but carried a dripping bucket of water in his hands. The Jester's head was in a haze, between the realm of dreams and the real world. A piercing pain emanated from the back of his skull to every single inch of his body, like acid slowly eating at his flesh and bones.

"Are you with us now, Joker?" Black asked as if he was really concerned for the Jester welfare, but Joker knew better. He could read the fury behind the gangster's eyes, probably fed by the secrets he had been told by the cloud of smog.

"Nobody home, please leave a message after the tone," Joker said in a soft hoarse voice while crouching over to rest on his hands and try to push the splitting headache away. "BEEEP!"

Mask kicked Joker, sending him flat on his face to the ground."Funny to the last moment, eh Clown? Let's hear you laugh with a broken jaw…"

"This stopped being funny, Skeletor." Joker said sitting on the ground holding his mouth in a hand. Blood started to seep between his fingers. "We were BFFs."

"We were, until you tried to betray me. Do you remember me warning you about betraying me? I remember being very clear about it."

"Yes you were. What you want me to do now, Black sing, dance…beg for my life?" The Jester said forcing a chuckle as he brushed the wet curls off his eyes to look at Black and his friends.

"That would be delightful, but something tells me you are not going to beg." Black started to pace around the kneeling clown. "The Hunter told me many things about you, Joker and I have to say that I'm terribly disappointed in you."

"Call my agent and get in line. You're not the only one."

The man that had held the bucket of water slapped the clown so hard that Joker ended up face down on the floor and bleeding from the corner of his mouth. "Don't you dare speak like that to Lord Black!"

"Calm down Anzu, there is no need to damage the vessel now." Black admonished as he motioned his henchman out of the basement. "Please bring the others here for the transfer. I'm sure Mr. Joker here would like to be united with old acquaintances."

With a low bow, Anzu left the basement while Joker struggled back on his knees and wiped the blood now dripping from his chin.

"Lord Black, eh? Well, your highness, if I knew we were going to have a royal family reunion I would have dressed…" Joker made a small pause to study the rags that had been once his impeccable clothes, "…properly. You owe me a purple suit."

Mask shook his head, his head looking down to the kneeling figure below. "I had so many plans for you. You told him about the keys and the books, didn't you?" What else did you tell him…did you give him a list of the members in the club, did you give him my address? You know how expensive it was to move all this operation, just because you wanted to open your big loud mouth and tell your detective friend about us?"

"You want me to pay you in cash now or can we arrange a payment plan?" Joker jested feeble through the pain in his jaw. Masked kicked Joker again, this time on the ribs and kneeled on top of him. The Clown moaned in pain under the gangster's weight.

"Stop joking. No one is laughing." Mask pulled Joker by his green hair. "Oh, why betray us to him, Joker? Thought you hated the Batman."

"You're uglier and what I HATE is you playing in MY city, with MY toys."Joker giggled. "And did I say you stink?"

Mask lifted himself from the Jester's back and started to pace the downed clown like a vulture."Your city…funny that you say that, because this is really OUR city. We have lived here much longer than any of your species, this was our domain until one of your kind decided to ban us permanently so you could claim the earth for yourselves."

"You're crazy," Joker said with a smile. "I have a lot of my own psychoses to last me a while so keep yours to yourself."

"It's not a psychosis, it's history. We owned this city…the land where it stands was our heritage until Lucifer thought we were a danger to his reign, and all because we refused to obey him. The traitor aligned with the enemy and banned us from this land to give it to the mortal fools that aided him stay in his throne. My brother stole the keys to the gates of hell to gain favor over the demonic legions, like Rancor's clan of Hunters, but Lucifer was not too happy with my brother's affront and a bitter war ensured until the keys disappeared.

"God himself intervened to settle the affair and Lucifer reclaimed Hades, but without the keys it was his word against ours. We were all banned to preserve the peace, but Lucifer wanted to keep my brother and his legions permanently locked away so his reign was absolute. Some of us were trapped here and we learned to mingle among the mortal population. We later learned that the keys were given to the mortals to build and guard the portal that keeps my brother away. Over millennia, we've tried to find the keys so we could open the portal again, but have never gotten this close. Until now."

Joker clapped effusively. "Oh my…what a nice little bedtime story. Why should I care about your family affairs?

"Because I thought of all people, you would understand. The world order is an insane illusion. The only constant thing in the world is chaos. You are a child of chaos, you should know."

"I was born in a vat of chemicals in a card factory."

"Spare me your lies, Joker. Rancor tasted your soul and he could see you for what you really are and you are no longer insane. Who are you trying to impress, Batman? You are doing all this for him, aren't you?"

Joker remained silent. Truth was he was indeed trying to prove he could be more to the man he loved. Now that everything had been uncovered, he was no longer sure he could fulfill his mission. Batman would never see him for anything else than the chaos and death he brought this city. Life brought him down onto his knees once more, maybe he could not aspire to be more than what he was.

"What, no witty comeback?" Mask said in a triumphant tone. "I had plans for you, Joker. You and my brother spreading chaos together, but you started to care. What a disappointment, Clown. What a waste of potential…"

The door of the basement opened and a group of hooded men, in long dark crimson robes entered in procession. The robed figures stood silently behind Black, and one of them pulled his hood back revealing Crane sneering at him. Joker frowned as the gangster went on. "You remember, the good old doctor…don't you?"

"It will be a while before I forget him," Joker growled as he followed Crane's figure until it stopped by Black's right side. Black looked back at Jonathan who simply bowed in acknowledgment.

"You put the keys on him to hide your betrayal, didn't you?" Joker remained silent. "Crane would have been oblivious to us if I didn't have to interrogate him intensely. He learned too much, and needed to be silenced. Killing him would have been a waste of an otherwise useful soul, so we just changed the driver of his vehicle…"

"Changed the driver?"

"Didn't Crane remind you of the pain in your soul… the one that drove you insane?"

Joker's eyes widened in terror. It all made perfect sense now. "You brainwashed him."

"Not really. I introduced him to Belial's son Angor…Hunter of pain and Rancor's brother." Black chuckled. "You know how much pain is hidden in Dr. Crane's heart, thanks to his thoughtful father? So much that he developed fear of his own pain…fear that fascinated him so much he had to understand it, control it, and share it. The things that can drive you to madness…"

"That is…"

"Ridiculous? Then explain how I know about your hatred for the world, so strong that you could no longer fit in that world so you made a little corner in your brain to live in and used the hatred to fuel your violent behavior. Oh, I know you well, Joker and the Hunter said you have become not only the key to the Batman's hatred, but it seems you also have touched the Detective's dark heart and he has touched yours. An unexpected development. Makes me even wonder if two blacks could make an even darker heart."

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about."

"You can't lie to me, Joker. Rancor read your soul like an open book. He felt the emotions the Batman and you shared, and as repugnant as they are, they might prove kind of…helpful to my plans."

"You and your cancer-causing smog can kiss my white clown ass."

"That's your problem, you never shut up. I would really watch that tongue of yours Joker," said one of the hooded figures coming close. The figure stopped in front of him and knelt revealing himself under the hood. Joker's eyes opened wide with surprise seeing the half decayed Gabriel staring at him mockingly. The hooded man grabbed the Jester's mane and pulled hard towards him. "Because if you're not careful I might tear it from the root. Did you miss me, Clown?"

The Clown Prince knelt in silence, not believing what his senses were telling him. This man that now spoke to him was dead and indeed he looked like something that had been buried for a few weeks, with the skin of his face dull and discolored. Purple patches marked areas of the neck and lower chin that had started to slough off. The smell nearby him was a combination of putrid flesh and brimstone that offended the Jester's nose and caused him to retch.

"Bat caught your tongue now, funny man?" Rancor said with a chuckle from beside Black.

"What….what are you?"

"We just told you, but you have not figured it out. We were once angels, but now we're you're worst nightmare, Joker. Hope you like it, sweetheart." Gabriel responded when Black cleared his throat. The decaying henchman let go of the Joker's hair and bowed submissively then rose to meet his superior a few feet back. Extending both arms to his side he took a deep breath. "I'm ready, Lord Black."

After a clap of Black's hands, two of the hooded figures brought forward a man in his late twenties, brown wild hair and the chiseled body type of a wrestler. He had his hands tied to his back and on the right side of his face was a scar that extended from temple down to his chin. Joker remembered that scar. He had made it in one of his angry outbursts. He also remember the man's name: Daniel, and remembered that unlike his other three henchmen Lou, Punch and Herman, this was the new kid on the block, just a recent hire right out of prison and Daniel had stayed behind at the carnival house when he faced Rancor.

"What you did to Gabriel has left him with a useless decaying body so I hope you don't mind I borrowed one of your men for the transfer, Joker. He wanted one of your favorite thugs, but we still have to figure out where you sent them with the clues you stole from me. In the meantime this one will have to do," Black said with a sinister smile as the Jester looked ahead mesmerized. The hooded figures forced Daniel to kneel in front of the albino. The white haired henchman walked behind the victim, who seemed in a semi trance, and with a knife pulled from within his robes, Gabriel handed it to Crane. Standing behind Daniel, Crane cut the ties to his hand and lifted the henchman's head making an "x" mark between the young man's eyes. The albino enveloped the henchman in his robes and in a flash of light, Gabriel had transformed into a cloud of blue smoke that entered through Daniel's nostrils and open mouth and ears. Daniel's hair slowly changed from dark brown to snowy white, and the henchman seemed to wake up from his trance to look at his hands and body. Daniel laughed and looked at Black who seemed complacent, then rose and approach the Clown Prince of Crime showing off in his walk

"You like it? A new strong vessel for me to wear. Thank you…."boss".

"Better get your money back because you still look like a colorless dumbass." Joker responded sardonically when Gabriel pulled him by the green mane of curls and extended a hand behind him. The knife he had used to etch the scar lifted flew from Crane's hand and rushed to the albino's hand.

"You are lucky you are still useful to us, or I would peel the white skin from your body and use it as a rug." Gabriel growled pressing the knife against the Jester's neck. "Maybe I can just peel the skin off your face. Leave you with a permanent smile. Then we could see who's going to want to fall in love with you."

"Gabriel!" Mask warned. The henchman let go of the Jester pointing to the mark etched in his forehead with the knife and smiled. It was obvious what the henchman meant. The mark in his head was going to be a reminder of what Joker did to him before, just so he could carry the hatred over to the next body.

"Untie me Gab, and I will put a bullet right there…again." Joker snarled.

"No you will not," said Mask removing the jacket of his suit which Crane took and put aside. "You need to be punished for betraying me, but you are first going to undo everything you have done, while you help me bring my brother back. That is why I have brought you here for." The Jester started to giggle. "What you find so funny, Joker?"

"Make me." The Jester teased malevolently.

"This time, Joker, I'm not asking." Black Mask turned to the large dark cloud on the corner. "Rancor, are you ready?"

"Yessss, Master." the dark figure said, floating towards the kneeling Jester with the eagerness of a child getting the bike he always wanted. Joker remembered the anger and the hatred of the memories Rancor brought back to him and he tensed against the chains as he tried to pull away from Hunter's approach.

"He's all yours, but remember our deal."

"You're going to kill me and use my body to feed your barbeque…very original, Blackie." Joker said with obvious tremor in his voice as he tried working on the shackles. No restraints ever resisted him for long in the past.

"Wrong again. Your punishment is not to die for your betrayal, but to suffer for it, and what better way to make you suffer than to make you destroy the very thing you claim to love." Black knelt before the Clown and tenderly brushed away the green curls from Joker's eyes. The gangster's touch felt like the kiss of death, cold and devoid of any human resemblance. "Poor little Jack, that tried to be understood, consoled…even…loved. Even the thought makes me retch. I will make you destroy everything you tried to become, Joker and all this while you hopelessly watch from the back seat of your soul."

"Is this wise, Lord Black? He is not to be trusted." Gabriel warned.

"Joker's just a mortal, my friend. Like the ones before him, there's nothing he can do to resist Rancor. He will watch as I bring the Bat down to the lowest recess of his dark soul…and he will help us every step of the way. Like it or not."

Black made way for the Hunter to start enveloping Joker in his darkness. Joker fought furiously at his chains as he felt a thousand needles pierce through his skin. He had felt pain before, but nothing like that. His skin was on fire, and so were his chest, abdomen and head and along with the pain he could fell the anger building and the world disgusted him. His vision tunneled and the room started to spin around him at dizzy speed. It was like a rollercoaster gone haywire. He hated the feeling, and he hated everything around him. Joker fell to his side and curled up in a ball, shut his eyes, and ground his teeth as he felt his body float in the darkness with nothing to hold on to and felt his innards being crushed into a tiny ball. It was the worst pain he could remember ever having felt, and he did what he always did when the pain was too much to bear. He started to laugh. It started as a soft giggle and then quickly escalated in volume and pitch until it reverberated in the entire basement. Gabriel and Black exchanged looks.

"Told you this was not a good idea."

"On the contrary my white haired Lord, "Joker responded slowly sitting on the floor with his knees raised enough for him to rest his chin and look at the pair amusedly. His eyes glowed with an orange flame and a large blood-red smile spread across the pale face. "It was a great idea because this unwilling partnership has sparked my creativity. Who would have thought that chaos could be so funny?"

"Stay focused, Rancor."

"Sure thing, Lord Skeletor. You mind?" Joker sheepishly said, offering Black his chained hands between giggles. The shackles opened and fell to the floor with a loud clang. The Jester rose and dusted his shoulders and knees. "Have some lose ends I need to tie before we can start operation Bat of Darkness. And it's time for a new wardrobe too. What you think…green to go with my eyes or black to go with the darkness of my soul. Decisions, decisions...so many decisions."

"Stop playing, Rancor." Gabriel warned.

"I'm not playing, my colorless divine bufoon, just having fun with my work. Let's bargain. How many souls would you feed me for Joker's _other_ little secret?" The Jester responded with an exaggerated bow.

"What _other_ secret Rancor?" Mask inquired suspiciously. "What else could I need from the clown?"

"Do you REALLY want to know who hides behind that ugly bat mask? You'll never guess this one, Lord Skeletor. If you weren't already dead, this one would definitely have killed ya."


	31. True Nature

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's Note: **_Time for another chapter. Thank you to all of you that had reviewed or faved the story. It means a lot to me. I'm very happy to see you guys are being very patient with the monthly postings (I'm doing my best to not keep you guys wating too long). Hope the results don't disappoint you. Anyways, this is one of those chapters were things are getting revealed, its time to wrap it up, and Batman's options to stop Black's plan might lead him to make one of the hardest decisions of his life. As if the Bat had not enough things to worry about now...you'll see what I'm talking about in the next set of chapters. Enough of the future (don't want to give it all away, right?). Here is chapter 31 so enjoy it_

_Please, don't hesitate on reviewing or commenting. Your imput is very valuable for me. It is the ceral in the morning of every writer. We live on it. Any comment is welcomed and ideas about plot are to be heard too. _

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters belong solely to DC COMICS. No money made writing this, just having innocent fun with my favorite characters._

_DISCLAIMER 2: There might be instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and situations as well as some STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT. Reader's discretion is advised._

_BETA: Another wonderful beta-job done by DOLLHOUSEDISASTER. Danke!_

**Chapter 31: TRUE NATURE**

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Selina yelled into Bruce's face after his refusal to answer her inquiry. "You've never acted like this. You know Joker, what he has done to your family and friends, including me, and you still trust him?"

"He has given me reasons to trust him. Told you, his leads are solid."

"I told you, that is not enough for me and it shouldn't be enough to you either." The look in her eyes was enough to tell him that she wished to get through his thick skull even if it meant drilling some sense directly through the bone. "I really can't believe you're talking like this."

At that moment the phone line in the Batcave rang and Bruce couldn't recall of a time where he would have even be happy to hear that phone ring. Usually that phone call was the beginning of a crime investigation, but this time it was a breather from an argument he knew he would never be able to win. The caller's ID surprised him.

"Commissioner," Batman responded quickly making a pause to find the right set of words to follow.

"I still have to digest what happened in the interrogation room, because all these things are getting really hard to explain. Then Frost said he was working for the dead and it hit me. I got an order for the exhumation of Sionis' body and I'm right here at his family plot…watching Sionis' coffin.

"And it's empty."

"You knew, but how could that be? You said you witnessed the funeral, you saw the body and you saw them put the coffin on the ground, yet the ground is undisturbed. What are we dealing with here…can we fight this?"

Selina's eyes opened wide with surprise. The color abandoned her face at the revelation that made her world crumble down: the torturer of her sister was still alive? Batman reached for her hand and held it tight on his.

"There is something very dark and evil using Sionis probably the same way it used Frost. And we will defeat them together."

"That is reassuring and believe me, even harder to explain to the Mayor. Demons in Gotham is not a subject you want to address prior to a major election." Gordon said. "Also Miss Vale called. She said they had delivered a mysterious package to her house. It is addressed to you from a Jeremiah Riverside. I sent officials to retrieve it, but I have lost contact with them. I'm sending a few more units and the SWAT team to investigate."

"The name is not familiar, but I'll meet you there." Once Gordon hung up, Bruce reached to retrieve his cowl and cape hanging from a nearby platform. "I cannot force you to trust me, Selina. If you want to pull out of this…"

"If Roman is not dead," she said dryly, "I have unfinished business with that bastard. Joker can wait…just for a little while."

"Things are not as easy as they seem. Sionis' might be back, but this is more than just people coming back from the dead. This could turn up too dangerous for both the body …and the soul."

"I am not afraid, Bruce. Catwoman lost her soul the day she killed Roman Sionis, as did I when I enjoyed taking that life…. There is not much more to lose, is there?"

"Alright, but I need you to trust me."

"You…not Joker." Selina looked at him suspiciously. "And just for now. You have a lot of explaining to do, Mr. Wayne and I will not let you forget about that. Let's go."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Robin entered the large hall of the Justice League building with some reserves as to what was he doing t here. It was not enough that he felt like a fish out of the water with all that was happening, but the immense room with its bluish grey walls, and large window panes, like a gothic cathedral, made him feel even more out of place. And his concern grew when he saw the entire Shadowpact team and Dr. Fate waiting for him on the large granite table in the middle of the room.

Tim had never believed there was anything supernatural in the Black Mask's return, but Bruce had explained to him that the events were leaning toward some type of supernatural interference that he needed to identify if he was going to be able to solve the mystery of Sionis's strange alliance with the city resident psychopaths. Still, asking about vampires and witches seemed a little farfetched even for him.

"Batman sounded concerned when he called me," Zatanna said, greeting Robin with a warm smile. Her gentle blue eyes helped Tim forget his worries. Even here, he knew he was among friends.

"Yes, he suspects there are supernatural forces working their way into Gotham. Black Mask might be leading some type of cult or something."

"Black Mask? Since when do the Gothamite Mafia believe in ghosts and goblins?" Enchantress asked, resting her elbows on the table and her green cloak gleaming as if covered in stardust.

"Since its construction, Gotham city has attracted the dark forces from the beyond, "the Specter announced as he hovered effortlessly between Blue Devil and Nightshade."But no one has successfully tapped into its full energy potential, until now. Even I have felt the disturbance in the air. Spirits that seek vengeance."

"If you can feel it Allen, it worries me." Blue Devil said while polishing the shaft of his trident with a rag.

"First, let's see what we have here, OK, boys?" Zatanna said glancing over to Tim. "Bruce said he was going to send a file with a summary of his findings."

Tim handed the magician the flash drive Bruce had given him and waited as it was loaded on the room's wireless conference system. A list of pictures and notes floated above the hall's table for everyone to see. Zatanna was the first to react, by covering her mouth as she read the transcripts of Frost's interrogation and saw the pictures from the surveillance camera at police HQ. The Specter simply deposited his figure on the floor as he walked over to take a closer look at the file.

"OK, guys. _You are_ scaring me now. What's going on here?" Tim asked to the team.

Doctor Fate pointed at the file over the table. "They were not supposed to be able to open that door again. Nabu told me the Lords of Order destroyed the incantations and scattered the keys."

"Well, someone must've kept a backup file, Fate," Blue said. "Because they're obviously knocking at the door now."

"Who? Who was not supposed to open that door again…?"Tim inquired insistently. Zatanna looked at him with worry pouring from her blue orbs as she offered him a seat at the table. The color had drained from her face and her voice was shaking.

"It's going to be a long story, but I think that once you hear it everything will make sense."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The police officers already at the scene in front of building H of the complex reacted with surprised seeing Catwoman at the scene. Selina and Batman were received by Lieutenant Harvey Bullock who was sipping on a can of Dr. Pepper. The large detective was second in command in Gordon's unit, but his opinions about the costumed vigilante were not a secret. He just didn't like the idea of a man in a mouse costume spreading a personal (and not widely accepted) brand of justice around the city. It not only made the Force look bad, but also made the whole idea of justice for all, a mockery. He preferred to make justice the old fashioned way…with a gun and a badge.

Harvey tossed the empty can of Dr. Pepper to the side of the street and took a swig of his cigar, pulling a notebook from his trench coat.

"We found the two units that Gordon sent to retrieve the package in Ms. Vale's possession," Bullock started to say pointing at two lonely patrol cars parked by the curb and surrounded in yellow police tape, "…but no officers. No one has seen or heard from them and they're not answering their communicators."

"Have you been able to talk to Ms. Vale?" Selina inquired.

"She's not answering her phone either."The Detective looked over Batman's shoulder at Catwoman , as though asking her to leave the premises. Selina just limited to hiss as Bullock went back to the question. "We are readying the SWAT unit to go up there right now. Some of the neighbors reported a sinister laughter and screaming not too long ago. With Joker loose and a history of a previous attack on Ms. Vale, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared."

"No, it wouldn't. If you see the Clown, try not to miss this time," Selina said angrily to the bulky detective.

"I'll do my best, ma'am", Bullock responded with a smile. "I like the way you think." Batman glared at Selina who shrugged innocently as Harry Bullock tended to the details of the SWAT team.

"Gordon told me it was OK if you…and your friend see the scene before he gets here. But it will have to be after my team clears the area. Try not to have anybody die here today."

Batman understood the indirect comment as reference to what had transpired at MCU and it bothered him. Bullock would never change, and he would never accept him as an alley, but instead consider him part of the reason for the city's chaos

Bullock spit some of the tobacco still on his mouth from his cigar. The communication unit attached to his trench coat beeped and after exchanging a few words through the speaker he set the unit away. "Actually my team is going on now."

Batman nodded as he saw Bullock depart to join his SWAT team. Catwoman spoke close to the Knight's ear.

"Are you going to just sit back and wait for Fatty and his blue boys to go in and spoil the fun?"

"Bullock follows the book, just like Gordon. Let him do his job." Batman responded. "And I didn't say I was going to wait for Bullock. Ms. Vale lives in…"

"414H…I know." Selina responded as she readied her whip. "See you there hon."

Batman could not hold a subtle smile as he pulled his grapple and fired to the rooftop. With a strong push, he glided towards Vicky's building.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tim looked at Zatanna and the rest of the team as they told him about an ancient race of demons, referred to collectively as the Order of Fire, that had lived on what was now Gotham thousands of years before there was even the idea of building a city called Gotham. He heard of their animosity with Hades and the plans of Lucifer himself to ban the race out of Hell and Earth to become the sole ruler of the underworld. Robin's eyes glinted under the ceiling lamps as he tried to make sense of the incredible story. This all sounded so farfetched, even though he had thought he had seen it all. He tried to rationalize it all, but the more he tried, the more ridiculous it sounded to him.

"So you're telling me that these demons, which Lucifer doesn't even want in hell, are trying to get out of the prison that they were sent to, and rule Gotham again?" Drake finally asked.

"Not only Gotham," Dr. Fate clarified, "if they are able to return, they will probably try to turn the tables on Lucifer and try taking Hades for themselves. I'm sure Augor and his minions will have a score to settle with the Lord of Darkness after all these millennia."

"That is one hell of a grudge." Robin said trying to lighten the tense atmosphere that now permeated in the room. "But, what is in it for the Black Mask for collecting all the keys and books? It makes no sense. "

"They must have made the new Black Mask an offer he couldn't resist." Zatanna explained. "Assuming this is even the real Black Mask."

"Roman Sionis is dead. This guy is new."

"You are so naïve Robin. You speak of death as if it was just the end..." Blue Demon said, pointing at the Shadowpact members. "Take it from us. Death is just a transition between lives in two realms that are really not that far apart from each other. It's not permanent."

"So you telling me that no one really dies?" Robin's voice raised a few decibels.

"In a sense…no, Tim." Zatanna interloped trying to calm the young hero, "Certain circumstances could allow for some of those we think as 'dead' to return to the realm of the living. You have seen it before with Superman and other heroes and it could have happened with Sionis, maybe aided by the Order of Fire. We'll have to figure that one out later." She made a pause to look at the other members of the Shadowpact. "What concerned now me is Frost."

"I agree," Specter said, "Hunters were always loyal to Lucifer…until now."

"Hunters?" Tim asked obviously confused.

"Dark spirits sprout from Lucifer, Belial and other higher demons' dark selves. They're created to hunt a particular aspect of the soul: hatred, suffering, pain, lust…People with those feelings are easier prey on and for a demon to seduce to the dark side."

"But Rancor has always been under Lucifer's orders. If he's with Eligos, their other Hunters legions might have switched sides too. They are his most important demonic legion as they prey on human weaknesses." Blue explained.

"So Frost was…possessed by one of these Hunters?"

Specter leaned forward. "The Hunters can possess, but normally what they do is destroy the soul inhabiting the body and take control over what remains. The victim is no longer human, it becomes the Hunter. It is just temporary, until their mission is accomplished and then they dispose of the empty carcass."

"They cannot inhabit a body long," Specter continued explaining. "Their hunger for those emotions is insatiable and with no soul to feed them, they have no energy to keep the body from decaying. They use bodies as you use clothes."

"Gross…"

"Probably to fulfill another mission for Black and his gang…I don't like that." Specter said.

"But it was obvious that this Hunter had a mission with the Batman too." Fate said. "He told him he will be invited for dinner when he was ready."

"Yeah, but ready for what?" Tim asked.

"I cannot tell yet. But Batman was getting too close to something important and someone wanted off the case." Enchantress said adjusting her green cloak over her shoulders. "…at least for now."

"And then the Hunter got really interested. Instead, gave him more clues." Blue Demon said. "What if Batman is really the target here…for something else?"

"Batman...a target. Who would want to go head on against the Batman?"

"I don't know, Robin, but I agree with what Specter said," Dr. Fate said in a low grave voice, "If the Hunters are working with Black to open a gate for the Order of Fire to come through it means Lucifer is losing control of his own minions. Not good. Others demon clans will follow."

"What would happen if these other demons take control of Hell? Isn't that the same as having Lucifer in charge?"

"You don't know Augor, Robin. While Lucifer might not exactly be a gentle soul, Augor thinks that humans are a waste of meat. He wants them obliterated from creation."

"But isn't that why Lucifer is in Hell? He refused to bow to humans when ordered to do so by God, right?"

"Not everything that has been written about him is true, Robin. He is indeed fallen from grace, but time has made him more of a myth."

"And let's not forget that Augor would have a millennia old grudge. He's not a happy demon right now…" Blue said.

"And Batman is in the middle of this war…without knowing he might be a part of the plan."

"Bruce is not going to back off…if that is what you're asking, Enchantress." Tim said assertively. He knew his mentor too well to know that nothing will frighten him off an investigation. Even if he knew he was risking his life in the process. Gotham was always first for the Dark Knight. "He will fight back, even through an entire horde of demons if he has to."

"I know Robin, but he needs help to deal with this," Dr. Fate said leaning over the table, "because Augor is not your regular type of demon it is obvious he might be preparing him for something. This could get ugly."

"If we knew Bruce had the mask, we could have just destroyed it and that would have had prevented this mess." Fate said looking at the Robin's quizzical stare. "The mask that was stolen from his home is one of the keys to free Augor."

"But there is still the warrior that wore it. He has to get the other part of the spell to open the door." Enchantress contributed.

"That mask was like ancient history…" Robin said. "You don't think that warrior is still alive are you?"

"Oh, Robin there is so much for you to learn…" Blue responded shaking his head. "It's time we get involved in this and stop this new Black from making the greatest mistake of his life." Blue Demon stood with his trident firmly in his hand. "Assuming this guy is even human anymore."

"I agree, but we need more information," Zatanna said. "I know the Order only has a certain window of time to open that door, but we need to find out from someone inside what exactly we are looking at and how to stop it."

"And I know exactly who to ask. Etrigan"

"You're crazy, Specter?" Fate inquired, "Etrigan believes he is the heir to Lucifer's throne. Setting him free will be like trying to put out a fire with gasoline."

"And don't you think he will help us if he realizes that his reign is endangered by outside forces?"

"Whatever we need to do…we need to do it soon." Zatanna said. "I have a feeling that we are not prepared for what is about to come."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Catwoman reached the fourth floor, she noticed the Batman had already arrived and was scanning the door with a strange piece of equipment that he had inserted through the key hole. Two additional attachments had been adhered to the door surface.

"You're a wet dog," Batman said while studying the small black and white monitor in his hands.

"Funny, dear. Did Joker teach you that one?" Selina said cynically. Bruce remained silent avoiding her eyes by looking into his equipment. "Where are Bullock's men?"

"The good detective is scanning the other apartments. He'll meet us shortly. I just wanted to take a first look and I don't like what I'm seeing. The apartment is in disarray, turned over as if someone was searching something."

"Any sign of Ms. Vale?"

"No. Tried calling her and nothing." Batman retrieved his equipment and concealed it back in his utility belt. A small drop of blood dripped from the tip of the small camera and splattered by his boot. This looked even worse.

"Good you and your friend decided to wait for us." The Lieutenant scoffed rudely, assigning positions for the SWAT officers around the door. "Anybody home?" Batman shook his head as Bullock pulled what was obviously the manager's key from a trench coat pocket.

"You will not need it. The door is open," The Detective said opening the apartment. Inside the scene was gruesome. Every piece of furniture has been turned upside down and the walls had been written on with what seemed like blood. The welcome mat at the door seemed soaked in the same fluid that had left a trail of red drops in an arch over the linoleum. Bullock was the first one to enter, followed by Batman and Catwoman. The SWAT team followed close behind. The large lieutenant turned the door to look behind them and couldn't hold a gasp when he saw the horrific scene that not even his years of experience had prepared him for.

"Ruebens…Good God!" Bullock finally said as he closed the door of the apartment to show the body of a police officer nailed to it with a dozen of steak knives. Blood still dripped from cuts made across both wrists and the officer's mouth had a large ghastly smile painted with the same blood. Batman looked closely at the writing on the wall. Words. Hundreds of them covered the wall in tandem, written in fresh blood and with no relation to one another. They didn't even seem following any sense or grammatical rule. They seemed more the ramblings of a madman with too much in his mind. He immediately recognized the Clown's handwriting.

Two officers emerged from the bedrooms with their mouth covered. One of them leaned over a wall and threw up as his friends held him up before he fell to the ground. Batman along with Selina rushed down the hall to the last bedroom in the right. In there, the walls had been splattered with blood and Joker cards had been attached over the blood stains to form a smiling face. On the large queen bed two more police officers laid dead, wrapped with their own entrails and their heads had been cut, switched and carefully placed at each other's feet.

"Now, I forgot. Whose side was it you said Joker was on?" Selina said leaving the room in obvious discomfort at the gruesome scene.

"I knew our good luck would not last. The Clown is back into his psycho mode. Search the rest of the apartment for clues because we're still missing a reporter." Bullock ordered as he followed Selina out of the room. Batman took a moment to internalize the scene. Could he have been wrong all this time and Joker had brilliantly played him like a fool? All those words, all the promises, all the clues were just part of a game? Too elaborate of a plan to end up like this, Batman thought leaving the room to return to his clue on the wall. But he should've known better. Joker was after all, Joker and the Clown had always been the most unpredictable of his adversaries.

The Detective reached the wall with the writing and looked closely the words. Retrieving a small camera, he took a few shots of the writing. Many of them looked like scribbles, as if they had been written in a hurry, but others could be read and with the coma placed in the right space, they could even form coherent phrases. What could it all mean? Maybe this was another clue, but after what he saw in the dormitory, this might just be another proof of the Joker's return to his madness. Return? Bruce thought, as if he really believed that Joker was ever really sane.

"There's nothing else in the apartment sir." A female SWAT officer said. "We've searched every corner."

"Great, wonder what he did to Ms. Vale. I doubt Joker could top what he did in the bedroom."

At that time the phone on the living room rang. All officers looked around waiting orders and Bullock looked over the ID caller where a simple GOTHAM CALL blinked in bright green. Not much information on who the caller was. Batman glanced at the number underneath and he immediately recognized it. The answering machine picked up the call after the fourth ring.

"Hellooooo ladies and germs of the pig force," a voice said through the speaker in an unmistakable falsetto. "Now, if the Batman would be so kind to answer before I'm forced to cut the throat of the lovely reporter who lent me her cell phone to make this call, we all can have ourselves a party."

Batman pressed the conference call button. "I'm here, Joker."

"Oh my. Of course you are. How could you not be, after all, isn't she your favorite reporter?" Joker busted in a hysterical laughter. "She's mine for sure. Otherwise I wouldn't have shared some makeup secrets with her before. Right, Ms Vale?"

Bruce could hear muffled protests on the background. "What do you want?"

"I thought that your outburst at MCU would definitely have caused an impression on the city Commissioner, but it seems he's giving a blind eye to your temper again. Lucky Bat you are, because I will not."

"Listen Clown if you think you can just call us and ridicule us—."

"Ridicule you? Oh my, why would I want to do that when your department does a marvelous job at it. I was just making sure you're listening Batsy."

"Listening to what, Joker?"

"I don't know. I personally like Shumann, who was probably as crazy as me since he ended up in an Asylum, but I'm open to suggestions. I know. Would you like to hear Ms. Vale?" At that time, a piercing scream was heard through the speakers and everybody, including Bullock took a step away from the phone. "Great, dear…I think that was even in key. What do you think, Bats…pain in C major?"

"Joker…stop! It's not funny."

"Oh, the critics. They couldn't see a joke even if it hit them on their faces," The Jester responded. "Anyways, Ms. Vale here is kind of boring me with all the crying and whimpering. I could just snuff her, but I thought you might want her back."

"Alive."

"Do I really have to?" Joker retorted in a disappointing and whining tone. Talking to the Clown was sometimes like talking to a child. A very perverse child. "OK, Batsy. But if you want her alive so bad, you'll have to get her yourself. I don't deliver."

"Where?"

"That's where we are going to have fun. Riddle me this….what do Bats have in common with swallows."

"You can find them both in belfries."

"Great, Nigma is slacking on his riddles. Well, Ms Vale will be waiting for you to save her before the next service or she will join a choir of angels and believe me, she's closer to God than anybody I know. Tic, toc, tic, toc. Clock is ticking, chum."

"Lieutenant, have the Queen of Heaven's Cathedral evacuated right now," Batman said rushing towards the apartment entrance as soon as the call dropped. "Joker probably had set explosives in that church."

"The cathedral in the East End?"

"That is the church with the tallest belfry in the city and where Joker's keeping Ms. Vale. Trust me. Just evacuate the area around the church as fast as you can."

Without further explanations, he exited the apartment and ran down the hall to the small window by the end wall. He crashed the window open with his boot and fired his grappler letting himself off the building to glide down to safety nearby his bat-pod. Joker had given him all the clues he needed, but a very narrow window to act. There were only four churches old enough in Gotham to still have active belfries, and of those the tallest one was on Queen of Heaven's Cathedral on the East end and tonight's mass was just fifteen minutes away. Being a Sunday, anybody that had attended the mass to have the Lord's word spoken, would have a very serious risk of joining the Lord permanently, courtesy of a demented clown. Suddenly, Vicky became just one, of the large number of victims the clown could claim tonight.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dent scanned the shelves loaded with video media in DVD form, and smiled. He had never understood how people were so fascinated by demons and angels, but this collection was definitely the largest one he had seen on his entire life and after his transformation, you could say that Harvey Dent had lived long enough to see a few thousand of them. Two-Face wondered if any of the humans that ever used these resources really understood what they were reading. Probably not, the monkeys didn't have the capacity to understand what they could not see, and for many of them, hell and heaven were not real places, but metaphors of states of mind. He grabbed one of the DVD case entitled EGYPTIAN DEMONOLOGY AND SUPERSTITION. Was that all that he was for the mortals? A superstition used as raw material for the next novel? He couldn't wait until he could show the monkeys how mistaken they were...and feed on them once more.

"I think I found it, sir." Trevor announced from the small multimedia station where he was running a file with scans on and old Egyptian manuscript. The language was neither hieroglyphs nor Coptic, but an old and forgotten language spoke only in complex rituals by the ancient priests of Amun. Dent read the scans, reciting the ancient chants softly and then smiled.

"Not quite, boy, but we're close. Keep scanning." Harvey said when from among the pile of DVD cases that Trevor had yet to scan, one caught his attention. He pulled the case and handed it to his henchman. "Here, try this one."

At that very same moment, Dent noted a young man, no older than thirty that had arrived to the media center via the elevators. He was dressed plainly in an uninteresting brown suit and tie. In his hand he carried a small notebook and the first thing he did when he got off the elevator was to look at Two-Face and his men and Dent sniffed the air for the sweet aroma he of fear and was not disappointed. The young man turned away and stopped at another media projector were an old man was searching in old newspapers. Harvey recognized the young man's walk, and that was not the hunched slow walk of a librarian, but the stiff proud walk of a pig. Two-face had always hated cops, representations of a judicial system that had become biased and corrupt, but the thing inhabiting Harvey Dent's body hated them even more because they stood against everything a hunter believed in. Law against chaos, good against evil, life versus death. The man at the media station stood and packed his belongings after the librarian spoke to him. This didn't look good at all. Dent turned to Taylor who was still glued to the small monitor of his media station.

"How is that going?" Harvey inquired.

"I think you hit the jackpot, sir. This seems to be the book."

Dent sighed and looked at the small monitor where hieroglyphs filled the page. The words in the ancient papyrus seemed very familiar. "Good, because we might need to do a hasty retreat." Taylor looked up to his boss with concern. Harvey gave him a half smile. "We'll just take the whole film."

"Sir…I don't think that they will let us borrow the media like that."

"You dare disobey me?" Dent warned in a harsh raspy voice. Taylor backed off when he saw Harvey's pupils glowing bright yellow like a candle in the twilight of the media room. Dent smiled and turned to watch the disguised cop going over two more previously occupied media stations. After a short exchange of words, the researchers packed and left. At this rate he would soon be left alone with his henchmen and the cops.

"No, but we don't want to call attention by walking out with unchecked Library property."

"I think we already caught their attention, Taylor. Take the whole film." Dent responded as he walked over to meet the young librarian that had been doing rounds at the media center. Harvey cleared his throat and spoke in his most amicable tone he could muster. "Is there a problem, boy?"

The librarian turned and as he saw large frame of Dent approaching him, held tight to his notebook and pen. FEAR. Harvey could smell it in the air a lot stronger than before. The sweet of terror was emanating from the poor soul in front of him. Dent's mouth watered and if he felt the human heart he wore beat fast against his throat.

"You heard me… Hamilton?" Dent read the name badge on the librarian's lapel.

"Yes… and there is nothing wrong, sir." The boy couldn't hold the tremor in his voice. It was like music to Dent's ears, just like the thumping heart he could hear racing in panic within the man's chest. This much fear would definitely send him off the edge…fear was such an aphrodisiac for his darkness…

"Then you mind telling me why it is that everybody you talk to seems to have a hurry to leave this room…in fear?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…"Dent inched a little more and the young man backed off enough to keep his distance. Instinctively the librarian dropped his notebook and pulled an automatic gun from behind his back. "Don't get any closer…sir."

"Oh my," Dent said sheepishly. "You are afraid of me? I can taste the terror in your voice, son."

"The building is surrounded, and two whole SWAT teams are heading this way as we speak so don't try anything funny." Dent nodded and with a swift play of hand, Two-Face quickly disarmed the young officer and pushed him hard against the large storage shelves pressing the barrel of the gun against the boy's temple.

"I'm not the funny type, kid," Dent said amusedly, "just plain scary. And you just have made the worst mistake of your mortal existence, rookie. Enough to scare you out of your wits I hope because I'd love to taste your fear."

"Please no…."

"Already fearing for your life, boy?" Dent said running a tender hand along the man's cheeks while he stared at the terrified hazel eyes of the officer. Harvey smiled sinisterly. "Just like your father…wasting his life in the line of duty and with a kid that will not have a memory of him. What a horrible thought…your kid will never get to see his father. Doesn't that scare you?"

"I…I…what?" Hamilton started to sweat. His body, trained by the department to deal with this type of situations refused to respond to his commands, instead he was just petrified by a fear he had not felt ever before.

"Ooops, sorry, maybe I should've told you. Your wife's two months pregnant," Dent chuckled. "She's waiting to tell you all about it after work tonight. Guess you are going to miss that date. "

"What? You fucking son of a…" Hamilton uttered against the pressure of Dent's weight against his chest. Two-Face put the end of the barrel into the officer's mouth.

"Shhh, It's not your anger I'm after…only your fear. Now tell me. Since you burned your hand at the bonfire of that summer camp, are you still afraid of fire? Hmmm, the smell of scorched flesh...the pain. Let's revisit the past, Hamilton."

The officer's eyes widened as Dent spit in his hand that busted in a bright yellow flame that didn't seem to consume his skin or clothes. Hamilton looked mesmerized by the fact that Two-Face didn't seem to be in any discomfort even with his hand set on fire, but as the flame was getting too close to him, Hamilton started to shake and sweat heavily. With a perverse smile, Harvey blew the flame into the officer's face and the young man was quickly engulfed in the same yellow flames with the difference that this time they started to melt Hamilton's shirt and skin underneath. The young man screamed and fell to the ground, trying unsuccessfully to roll on the floor between the multimedia shelves to extinguish the flames that now enveloped his entire body. Dent turned around, leaving the burning officer behind to meet his henchmen, who observed him with disbelief.

"Behind the roasted pig more will come for the barbeque. It's time to leave," Two- Face said giving a short unconcerned glance to the burning man behind. Desperate cries for help slowly died away to moans and then to weak whimpers. The sprinklers in the media center turned on pouring foul-smelling fire retardant foam over the collection. Dent turned around to face Taylor. "Trevor you said you found it."

Trevor handed his boss the DVD casing. His hand shook as he let go of the casing as his eyes focused on the screaming figure in flames between bookshelves. _Fear of death_, Dent thought. _Such a sweet tasting feeling_. "Time to get going, don't you think?" Trevor nodded and Dent pulled his automatic and opened fire killing his main man and the two other henchmen instantly. Harvey started to laugh, his laughter quickly transcended to a deafening roar and the entire collection disappear under a heavy yellow and yellow haze and the security cameras went off line. Outside the multimedia collection, the SWAT team stopped its advance as smoke and small yellow flames escaped from under the door and security updated them from the surveillance center. The leader of the SWAT team touched the door and backed off a few steps.

"I don't like this. Smoke means fire, but this door is freezing," the officer announced, "have the fire department rush up to the multimedia center."


	32. Chain Reaction

**EDITED CHAPTER! UPDATED CHAPTER!**

_**UPDATE 2013:** This chapter has been edited after my long hiatus. After re-familiarizing myself with the plot, new ideas popped into th__e mind and decided to explore. The essence of the story is THE SAME, but scenes have been re-imaged and dialogue improved to make this a more cohesive story. Hope you like the changes._

**Author's Note: **_ Hiya guys! First of all, thank you to all of you still hanging about with the story. It's been almost three years and already 32 chapters but your support is greatly appreciated. After a battle with the chickenpox, overworked at the vet clinic while the boss was in a well deserved vacation, I have time to sit down and relax. So here is it, another chapter for your enjoyment. I really have to thank those of you that have spoken to me about the story and other projects. No, the other stories are not dead, but on a little bit of a hiatus. They will be continued once I get back on track as well as new project coming soon, where I will try to write a story using TDK Joker. Its gonna be intersting to try new venues, and I'm so comfortable with Comic Book Joker, that have to admit I'm a little scare, but the story would not leave my head. Also more alternate universe stories are on their way, most of them as single shots._

_As for the NEVER ENDING JOKER PROJECT...that is not dead either. The site will be revamped and with the help of some friends, we'll have it running again in no time. The aim is going to be a little different aimed at aspiring as well as stablished authors. Competitions and tournaments are on the plans too. Be attentinve, I'll post when it officially reopens._

_So here it is. Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review. Your voice always keeps us authors inspired and listening to our audience is one of our favorite things. It's the moment when we really connect with our audience, and share point of views._

_DISCLAIMER 1: I do not own Batman or related characters. They are property of DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: In some instances there will be MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS as well as a lot of sexual innuendo. Continue reading at your own risk_

_BETA: I ask for a round of applause for my beta and friend DOLLHOUSEDISASTER, for another wonderful job done. I owe you girl!_

**Chapter 32: Chain Reaction**

Batman arrived at the church six minutes after leaving Vicky's apartment. Sometimes it was an advantage to know every single street and alley of this city, but he wasn't sure if ten minutes would be enough time to undo whatever Joker had prepared for him. At least he was relieved to see that the Police Department had followed his advice and was able to evacuate the church in such a short notice. Tens of parishioners and bystanders stood behind a circle of yellow tape around the church that officers were trying to keep clean. The Detective fired his grapple at the belfry in the hope of saving a few more seconds by railing himself along the facade.

Once he arrived at the belfry he saw the gruesome scenario Joker had left for him. Vicky Vale sat tightly tied to a chair with a digital clock taped across her chest counting down from five and half minutes. He had less time than he expected. Under her seat, a homemade explosive had been carefully set and connected to the two brass bells behind, the chair, and the clock. Vicky lifted her head. Tears had washed away her fake makeup leaving wet trails of the white, black and red underneath; a reminder of what the Jester had done to her before. Her eyes opened wide as she tried to warn him of the unsafe circumstances, whimpering though a mouth gag. He ignored her warnings and rushed to kneel beside her, analyzing the complicated mechanism of the bomb as he carefully removed the gag covering her mouth.

"Don't move," he warned.

"It's a deathtrap. He plans activating the bomb when the bells ring before the mass."

"They will not ring and the police already have evacuated the church."

"How did you know where I was?"

"Joker called your apartment and you know he can't keep hsi mouth shut."

"That son of a bitch…and this is the monster that wanted to change, right?" She said spewing hate in her words.

"I…" Batman responded holding a coupled set of red and blue cables in his hand. "I was wrong. Now stay still, please."

The Dark Knight pulled a pair of cutting pliers from his utility belt and cut the two cables together. The counter in Vicky's chest stopped at three minutes and thirteen seconds. _That was easy,_ he thought, _almost TOO easy_. Now the great mission would be finding the connection between the chair and the explosive. He cut a short red cable only to discover it activated a shocker in the chair. Vicky gritted her teeth and moved ever so slightly when the clock started the countdown again: motion sensors. _Damn Joker_…Bruce thought as he studied the intricate design of the explosive. He touched a yellow cable that got lose and finally fell to the floor: a decoy. There were just too many cables, some of them just propped with some crazy glue to make the design more intricate. It was the Clown's plan to keep him busy with this for a long time…time he could not waste now when minutes were counting down fast. Two minutes and thirty two seconds. Batman stood and started to undo the counter taped to Vicky as he opened a channel in his cowl communicator.

"Gordon here," answered a familiar voice through the speaker.

"Is the church empty?" Batman said looking at the clock on the floor. Two minutes and twenty six seconds.

"Yes, I'm having a bomb squad dispatched…"

"There is no time for a bomb squad," the Knight set the counter aside and started to undo Vicky's ties. "Joker's design is too complicated to undo in less than two minutes. I will have to take Ms Vale and leave the belfry as it explodes. Extend the safety perimeter and be careful with falling debris."

"Are you crazy?" Vale and Gordon echoed in his ears.

"Time is running out and I'm confident my armor can take the force of the blast. Just need to make sure you have a wide perimeter around the church. There might enough explosives here to take the top of the building down." Batman closed the communication and stiffened his cape. One minute and thirty-eight seconds. "You ready, Vicky?"

"No seriously, are you out of your mind?" She said defiantly. "We'll never make it."

"I'll take that as a yes. When I tell you, hold tight." He said in a stern commanding voice as the clock ticked off to the final minute. Vale just nodded as he took a deep breath looking at the window he had used to enter the belfry behind him. "NOW!"

With a swift swirl, he enveloped himself and the reporter with the cape and lifted her from the chair and headed as fast as he could to the window. Seven seconds. Like expected, the chair activated the explosives that produced a powerful expansion wave of heat and debris. He could feel the heat against his back and the force of the blast made him lose his footing for just a second. He could not afford to waste even half of that second and he twisted his center of gravity just so he could use the momentum created by the explosion. Like a bullet, he was pushed with the reporter out the narrow window in the belfry, with the rest of the wall following behind. Holding tight to Vicky, he fired his grapple towards a nearby building and pushed the trigger to haul them out of the explosive wave of debris. They hit the wall of the building as the belfry, now completely engulfed in flames quickly caved into the church's main plan. Pain seared through his arms as he felt muscles stretch beyond their natural design. Soon the entire church was set ablaze across the street. Batman and Vale moved slowly up the side of the building towards the anchored grapple hook, the Knight holding with what remained of his strength almost depleted after the explosion.

"You OK?" Batman inquired softly, his muscles aching from the tension of holding to the grapple and Vicky. Sobs. That's what he heard when he saw the reporter crying against his chest plate. He forgot about the pain in his joints and held tighter to her. "It's alright, Vick, everything is going to be fine now. You just hold tight."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

From the piers, a tall pale figure clad in a black tuxedo, black gloves and a checkered board vest over a grayish shirt peered towards the East end where a large fireball had sent gas and debris high into the sky. This was better than last year's Fourth of July, except that there was not Joker toxin in this cloud, but the black figure that glided through the orange background of the exploding belfry made up for it. With a few scratches and bruises, the Bat should have made it out of the belfry alive. He hoped the reporter did not for that would serve his plans perfectly, but he knew better. The Bat would not have left without her. The observer smiled as he used the binoculars to scan the busy streets nearby as ambulances and fire trucks that illuminated the narrow street. _My music_, the figure muttered, _so deliciously chaotic and you my dark knight have heard only a few notes. Wait until I play the whole symphony at your initiation.._.

"Well, did you blow 'im up, Boss?" Lou asked peering curiously behind the pale figure that in exasperation ran a hand through his wild green hair. "Is the Bat dead?"

"Why is it that you think everything I do is just to kill the Batman, Lou?" The figure said turning his burning green eyes to his henchman. "This detective is more useful for my plans alive and in one piece."

"But the explosives…the reporter…" Lou started to explain.

"Merely props and pawns in a game played by a grand master," The clowned faced man smiled perversely as he patted his henchman's face in a paternally fashion. Lou tensed at the cold touch that made him cringe. "Just like you, boy, don't forget that. Now let's play some more. The night is young and my hands are itching for some more chaos."

The pale man in black handed his binoculars to his henchman and started towards the emergency staircase when he felt the intense look of the thug on the back of his head. He felt the sudden urge to rip the head off this gorilla and use it for a soccer tournament, but some mortals might still be useful. He turned around and smiled wide.

"Is anything wrong, Lou?"

"No, it's just that you…sound different, Boss."

"Really…how different?" Joker said cocking his head amusedly. _Come on_, he thought, _give me a reason to terminate your existence._ _It's not like your 'boss' has not thought of it before. Go ahead, Lou, tempt darkness to consume you._

"I dunno…just different." Lou shrugged as he attentively looked down at his own shoes.

"Please Lou, remind me. What do I pay you for?"

"To…help you in your…" the henchman thought of what to say next to his boss for it could be that last thing he would ever say again and what he said sounded like a whisper. "…show."

"Does your contract include thinking?" The henchman shook his head in response to the Jester's question.

"No, because thinking makes you boring and I just can't stand boring people so I put them out of their misery. Do youself a favor and don't even try thinking, OK big fella? " Lou nodded nervously. "Great, then just join Punch and get me a ball of yarn, a few carving knives, and some bags of catnip then meet me at the Gotham Museum for an educational trip."

Joker started down the stairs as he sang the theme song to the Meow Mix commercial. Lou scratched his head, trying to make sense of what the Joker had just said. He should learn to shut his mouth in front of the Boss if he wanted to live, he thought. But there was something different with the Jester tonight, and though he was used to the Clown's mood swings, this time it just gave him the creeps. Anyways, there was more important business at hand. Where would he get a ball of yarn this late at night…?

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Vicky was still shaking as she tightened herself in the soft wool blanket the paramedics had offered her. In her hands she held a warm cup of coffee she had hardly tasted. She was not in the mood for coffee or food now. Her mind was fixed in the evil glow behind the Jester's emerald eyes as he stormed into her apartment. Everything after that became a terrifying nightmare that culminated at the cathedral's belfry.

"Better, Ms. Vale?" Gordon asked as politely as he could. Vicky just nodded silently as the Commissioner pulled a notebook from his trench coat and reached for a pen in an inner pocket. "You mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"No," she lied. What she really wanted was to be as far as possible from this nightmare, but she knew she had a duty to the police. She rubbed her pale face and set the coffee cup over her legs as she looked at the Commissioner's old tired eyes. She was sure the Gordon had been missing many nights of sleep, trying to handle the chaotic mess this city had become.

"Did Joker kill the three officers in your apartment, Ms. Vale?"

"Do you have any doubts about that?"

Gordon shook his head. "Just needed to confirm the facts. Did he give you any reason for invading your apartment?"

"He wanted the box I had received earlier that morning. He said something about mistaken identity."

"Mistaken identity?"

"The mailman must have mistaken me for someone else. He made sure the mailman would not make that mistake again, so I would suggest you search for a missing postal office clerk or delivery man as well."

"I will," Gordon said jotting some notes down when Batman walked over to them. "Do you remember name and address of the sender or the recipient?"

"Addressed to Batman using my address, but the sender was local," Vicky stopped to concentrate, "from a Jeremiah K. Riverside."

"JKR…Joker," the Knight appeared from within the darkness and offered a polite nod at Gordon, "How are you doing Ms. Vale?"

Vicky swung her head from side to side. "I'll have you to thank for saving my life, Batman." The Knight nodded silently in acknowledgment.

"Now wait a minute, Batman. Why would Joker try to steal the package he had himself sent to Ms Vale?" Gordon said trying to make sense of the lead. "There is no mistaken identity. The package was sent to the right address."

"I don't know. Maybe Joker changed his mind about the package, maybe it was just bait for me."

"But…why? I'm sure kidnapping Ms. Vale would have been more than enough to catch your attention."

"That is what we need to figure out. What happened to the package, Ms. Vale?" Batman inquired.

"I gave it to Sergeant Trent. He opened the box and pulled out some paper, some glass and other stuff."

"Sergeant Trent was not at Ms. Vale's apartment, correct?" Batman said gazing over to Gordon.

"No, but we found him later. Someone broke his spine, bent him backwards and stuffed him on the trunk of one of the patrol cars." Gordon answered. "And he had no box with him. Do you remember any other details of the materials in the box?"

"My mind right now is in a haze, Commissioner. I know I saw the materials, but I can't recall any details."

"That's OK, Ms. Vale," Gordon said handing the reporter a card with the Gotham police phone number. "Take your time and if you remember anything else don't hesitate to gives us a call. Any minor detail will help us."

"Sure thanks," She said putting the card away in a pocket of her shirt. Gordon turned around and left to join Montoya and Bullock by some of the patrol cars. Only Batman remained by her side.

"Now really…are you alright?"

She offered a hand out that shook in midair. "Does this answer your question?"

"Joker made you scream and I thought…"

"At the apartment…he threw one of his sharp cards at me and it startled me. He just busted laughing."

Batman stopped to think. Something with the timing of the call was not right. "But Joker called me fifteen minutes before the bells would ring, and I heard you scream. I thought you were with him…here."

Vicky shook her head. "Joker said he couldn't join me for mass because he was busy tonight. Said something about naughty boys not going to heaven, whatever that meant and then sent me with Lou and Punch that set up everything in the belfry." She made a paused to catch her breath. "You should have seen him, Batman. He has gone completely bonkers. The more pain he could cause the cops, the funnier it seemed to him. He took his time killing them…a long time."

"What about his jokes…anything relevant? You know how he likes to boast and give away leads."

"He was trying to get under the officer's skins more than anything." Batman listened carefully. "Not very funny, but…cruel. He was more focused on getting them angry than making them laugh."

"There was writing on the wall of your apartment…Joker's handwriting."

She nodded. "He said something about voices in his head, and after decapitating one of the guards collected some of the blood to write on the walls. It was a lot of nonsense. He just wrote like a maniac." Vicky took a deep breath. "Really gruesome."

Batman knelt in front of the reporter. "Vicky, I know it's hard, but I need you to do me a favor and try to remember the contents of the box. It's important."

"You said it was just bait. Why is it so important now?"

"Joker doesn't do anything without a reason. All is part of larger plan…something he wants us...ME to see."

"If he wants you to see it, is because you're part of his game…don't fall in his trap."

"But Joker is also impulsive and obsessive. He will not stop showing off and his ego is his major flaw." Batman looked into the reporter's grey orbs. "Please…try to remember."

"I'm going to kick your ass for this." Vicky sighed deeply and saw the urgency in the Knight's blue eyes. She closed her eyes, rubbed the bridge of her nose and concentrated hard. "Ok, two or three sheets of handwritten paper, some pages that seemed to have been ripped from a book, few newspaper clippings, and stained glass. That's all I remember."

"You read any of the printed material?"

"No. Sergeant Trent looked them over said something about how bad the rhyming was then put them away quickly. He could not even understand what was written on the ripped pages, they were written in a foreign language he did not recognize." Vicky took a sip of the now cold coffee then set the cup on the floor. "What's going on, Batman?"

"That is what I'm trying to figure out," the Detective said as he stood. "What about the glass, anything peculiar?"

The reporter shook her head. "Just three small diamond-shaped stained pieces, like the one you see in chandeliers. Blue, yellow and green."

"Anything else?" The Detective insisted. Vale huffed obviously annoyed.

"Batman, I have just seen my life across my eyes up there in that belfry. I am not in the mood to…"

The Detective put a gentle hand over her shoulder. "Sorry, it's the detective in me trying to figure this out. Thanks. Hope you get better soon, we'll talk later." He rose and started to leave when she called him. "Yes?"

"On the back of one of the newspaper clippings…was a picture of y—." She forced a fake cough. "…was a partial picture of Bruce Wayne at the inauguration of the Earth Ecosystem exhibit at the Wyatt Hotel. I recognized the photo because I took it. I think I sold it to the Gotham Review."

He nodded. "Thank you, Miss Vale. Your help has been invaluable." He turned and headed to his vehicle. As he mounted his bat-pod, Gordon called to him and rushed to the bike.

"Just got a report from the FBI. Dent was seen earlier today at the Library of Congress. He was searching in digital copies of research on ancient Egyptian documents."

"Did they arrest him?"

"That is where it gets creepy. The video from the library showed that as the police was getting ready to raid the Library, he set a man in fire, an undercover officer the FBI sent in to empty the collection before the raid, and then the entire section went dark with a haze. The fire department sent in a contingent and they could only find the charred remains of the officer and the bodies of the three henchmen accompanying Dent to the Library. Each shot once on the head, but no Harvey Dent anywhere and the only way in or out of the collection was through the door the police used to get in."

"Was the collection destroyed?"

"That's the other weird thing. Even though there had obviously been a fire in the room, there were no indications anywhere. Not even the sprinklers got activated."

"That's strange. And it's the first time Harvey has broken his rule of twos. Anything missing from the library?"

"They are still searching."

"I would like to take a look at that video if possible."

"I'll try to get a copy, but can't promise you anything."

"Fair enough. It will also be good to find out exactly what type of documents he was searching for, maybe Mask's third book." Gordon nodded as Batman started the pod. "I might have some more information on what Mask is up to if my resources prove useful. I'll keep you posted of my findings."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Harley held tight to her purple Teddy bear as she stretched on the large queen bed in her room. Around her she had scattered a whole set of UNO cards, and a small pile of People, American Idol, and Good Housekeeping magazines.

A small tickle inside her nose made her wake up with a sneeze. She opened her eyes and saw the small snapdragon she had set by the window the day before for her daily sunbath, trying to reach her with her tender leaves. Instinctively, Harley pulled away, not sure if the plant wanted to be loved or was simply searching for her next meal. Without Pamela here and her little knowledge about this plant's biology, it might need living tissue as part of her diet. It was just not going to be hers. The top of the snapdragon turned around in its axis to face Quinn and seemed to try speaking by producing a small chirping sound that resembled a cat's soft purr.

"What is it?" Harley asked the plant, knowing how ridiculous she might sound talking to a snapdragon. The plant shook ever so slightly in her tiny terracotta pot and looked around her nervously. With a green coil, she pushed herself closer to Harley, who rolled her eyes, jumped off the bed and ran towards the bathroom returning with a small cup filled with water that she poured on the little pot.

"There…does that feel good or what? And you thought I had forgotten…" Harley said kneeling tenderly beside the snapdragon with the expression of a proud mother looking at his daughter. The small plant wrapped a gentle coil around one of Harley's index finger causing a tingly sensation as it tightened around it. Quinn smiled gently. "You're welcomed…Snappy."

"Harley…..it's me…Ivy." Quinn jumped back in surprise when she heard the snapdragon speak in plain English. The plant would have hit the floor if it wouldn't have still been tightly coiled around Harley's finger. "Harley, please…it hurts. Put the snapdragon back on the window sill."  
Quinn did as she was told and looked curiously at the small flowering head of the plant. "Ivy…that you…really? What happened? Where are you?"

"In a warehouse on the northern Aparo banks by the Sullivan trading company. I'm using my bond with plants to communicate and can't talk much, kiddo so just listen."

"You were supposed to be back a few weeks ago…"

"I know, but I had to stay to find out what all this was about. Mask's offer was too good to just pass."

"Mask? Like Black Mask?"

"Yes. He promised us a lot of cash, more than you can even imagine, but there is something dark about him, and I've heard him talking about scorching the city. I can't let him burn all the vegetation in Gotham, Harl, I need to protect them and I have to see what happened to Joker."

"Joker…what happened to him?"

"Long story, Harl, but he left without saying a word and have not heard of him since. Mask went to retrieve him." The small snapdragon turned around towards the glass in the window as if trying to look out then glanced at Harley again. "Black threatened to teach him a lesson and I think he might've made good of his threat."

"My Puddin'? You sure?" The note of concern was obvious in the young woman's voice. "Is he OK?'

"I don't know, but after seeing what he's been doing here, I think we might be on the same side. I can't take on Mask alone, Harley. I need an ally…even if it's your Pudding."

"I can help too, Pammy. We can find him together and then-."

"Too dangerous."The plant twirled in its pot towards the sunshine. "Shhh, here they come. Listen, if you don't hear from me tomorrow, contact the police. Someone has to stop Black."

The plant uncoiled from her finger and wrapped all her leaves towards the pot as she leaned over towards the window as if sleeping over the warm glass. Harley's mind went silent and she felt alone again. A flood of thoughts came through her head: images of Joker and Ivy being tortured by an enraged Black Mask. She felt she should do something…anything but sit this one out. Still, Ivy knew best. Harley decided it would not hurt to wait until Pamela would contact her again…it was only going to be for a day. Right?

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Selina entered her apartment as she always did late at night…through the north window. It was Catwoman's door to the city that called to her. By the small balcony, two dozen cats had started to gather and followed her into the apartment, meowing their welcomes and demands for food. She went to the kitchen and scooped a heaping cup of Cat Chow that she poured into several small cereal bowls that she set on the floor nearby. All the furry tenants quieted down as they started to munch on the food allowing her some time to think.

She felt vindicated tonight. Selina couldn't understand what was going on between Joker and Batman, a relationship that had grown more complex over the years, but tonight she got the proof she needed that the Clown was still the same psychopathic killer she had learned to hate and she was sure Batman would not have missed the obvious clues this time. She liked being right, and hoped Batman learned the lesson to trust her instincts. Kyle walked over to the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk. Two small silver and black tabby kittens started rubbing against her feet and she poured some of her milk in another bowl and set it down beside her. The two kittens sat down at the bowl as they started to lap at the milk, purring in delight.

"You guys demand as if you owned the place. Maybe you should start helping with the rent," she said to the pack of cats while removing gloves and boots that she dropped to the floor as she headed to the bathroom at the other end of the apartment. Reaching for the sink, she set the glass of milk by the faucet and started to run the water. Selina removed her hood and goggles letting them over the tub and splashed some steamy hot water over her weary face. She held tight to the sink and looked at her reflection on the foggy mirror. Superimposed to her image was the pale face of a man…smiling at her. His bright red lips looked like a bleeding wound on the man's ghostly face. She knew that smile.

"BOO!" The reflection teased making Selina jump to look behind her. Nothing. Nobody was behind her.

"Great…now I'm hallucinating clowns." She growled softly as she turned and ran a hand over the foggy surface of the mirror. She stood alone in front of the faucet. "Thanks Joker."

"You're welcome darling," She heard the falsetto by her ear and turned to slash the air behind her. This time it was not empty space, as two hands grabbed hers and spun her around crossing her arms over her chest in a straitjacket grip. She could hear the Clown's breathing beside her. "A cat without claws should avoid fights, Selina."

"I don't need claws to kick your ass, Joker." Kyle said throwing a kick behind her, but there was nothing to kick, just air. The Jester still held tight to the Catwoman's hands. "Or rip your eyes out!"

"Always willing, eh Kitty Cat? I love feisty women." Joker licked her left cheek. "But I love angry women even more."

"Get your filthy hands off me, you psycho!" She barked fighting the restraining grip when the icy white hands seemed to dissolve in thin air, leaving her off balance for a moment. Something pushed her from behind and she fell, face down into the tub and an unknown force kept her there. Warm water started to fill the tub and she found herself quickly underwater fighting for air. Not too far, she could hear the Clown laugh.

"I don't know what he sees in you, really darling. After all you're so…ordinary. No sense of fashion, no sense of humor." She heard the Joker's voice crystal clear through the water, but she was more concerned on not drowning than listening to the rants of a madman. "I on the other hand…Damn! This is so annoying…you, her, me, they, us. This is not an alumni meeting, but a one man show so stay out of my head and don't complain…'cause you inspired this."

Selina felt the grip that kept her underwater ease and she finally pulled out taking a large gulp of fresh air. She looked up at the Jester standing in front of her, murmuring something to himself and in an almost unconscious reflex she tried running out the door. Her escape was interrupted when the Clown grabbed her and tossed her whole body single-handedly into the water-filled tub again in one forceful yank, this time barely keeping her head above water level. He got into the tub and lay on top of her as water overflowed flooding the bathroom floor.

"Leaving so soon Kitty? Well, that's plain rude, especially just when I was getting this party started." Joker giggled maliciously as he turned Selina over to face him and turned the water off. Her eyes just burned with unrestrained fury. "Do you like threesomes? Just you, me…and me. No? Well, don't you hate it when the clown gets all the laughs?"

"I'm…going to…kill you…" Selina spat through a tight grip on her neck that threatened to crush her vertebra and voice box.

"Sure you will. That is what I want you to do. Hate me, please."

She tried to fight back, but suddenly she had lost control of her muscles. "What…what you…want?"

"Me? I'm just here for the cake. Have you told your landlord about the pack of flea infested felines you keep here? Maybe I should. It's a health hazard, you know?" Joker laughed as he tightened his grip over the young woman's neck. Selina on her hand fought the asphyxiating grip with all her might, but this Clown was too strong to her…unusually strong. The Jester leaned over and smelled her neck. "But we can talk about that later, Kitty Cat. First, a little you and…us."

Selina's vision tunneled as she started to drift into unconsciousness from the lack of oxygen. From the kitchen she could hear cats hissing and growling while others were screaming in pain. She wondered what was going on as she gathered all the strength and determination she could to connect a fist to the Jester's face without success. It was like trying to hit smoke.

"Naughty, naughty," the Jester said with a giggle. "Do you always beat the crap out of your boyfriends on the first date? No wonder you're all alone. Boo-hoo, not even Batsy is interested in you anymore. But this is your lucky night because I'm here now and I'm soooo into S&M..." Two cold hands started to undo her now wet costume while the lack of oxygen forced her into a darkness where she couldn't sense anything else...except that goddamn laughter…echoing far, far away.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

It had been a long and exhausting night and Batman could still feel the soreness in his arms after the spectacular rescue at the church and the news of Harvey's visit to the Library of Congress left him with more questions than answers. How could someone just vanish from one of the most protected libraries in a city with the most complex security system of the country? He will have to look at the Library video, but his body screamed for a bed and some sleep. He made a large effort to put the pain away from his mind as he went to the main Bat-computer station and turned on the search mode on his drive. He typed on the virtual screen in front of him.

SEARCH: JOKER PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE

A large PDF file opened in the main screen and he read over the long list of symptoms and behavior attributed to the Clown Prince in his multitude of psychiatric sessions at the Asylum and he found it very odd that Joker had never reported voices in his head before. Maybe this was one symptom the hospital's staff had missed or rather a brand new manifestation that his madness was getting worse. Still, it seemed to be nothing that would help him now.

He downloaded the contents of his portable computer. Scans of pictures from Vicky's apartment and the blood written wall appeared in the screen. He zoomed into the scan of the wall and tried to read its content. The handwriting was poor, as if Joker was more concern of the quantity rather than the quality of the words. He noticed passages where the handwriting seemed more calmed and he finally could make out some words. The computer analyzed the passages and applied commas and periods where it felt most likely be needed. Joker was trying something, and this sort of automatic writing, was not new on him as the Jester had filled the walls on his cell with scribbles like this over the years. This, on the other hand was something quite out of the ordinary. The scale was unusually large in such a small amount of time.

"What is going on in your head, Joker?" Bruce murmured at the screen. "You had me believing in you for a moment and now…this."

"Master Bruce. Didn't expect you back this early." Alfred said as he entered the cave through the service door.

"Vicky is fine and moved to a safe location for now. Just needed look over the evidence."

"From the crime scene?" Alfred inquired drying his hand with a towel. He always felt part of the team and many times had been able to help by providing an outsider's point of view to an investigation. He studied the zoomed handwritten image from Vicky's apartment

"Yes, Joker left a message on a wall, written in fresh blood. It seems like gibberish…but I'm not so sure."

"Some of the passages seem to rhyme. He thinks he is quite the poet, doesn't he?"

"Would not surprise me. He likes poetry."

"I didn't know that. Is that a new Joker trend, sir?"

Batman realized he had inadvertently given away too much information. How to tell them, Joker and him had a heart to heart while he was his prisoner without going into the details. "His cell in Arkham, Alfred," he improvised. "He has filled the walls with some poetry, quoting classic and modern poets along with some silly rhymes of his own."

"You really know your enemy well, Master Bruce," the butler responded as he was attracted to one of the passages on the screen, "This is classical metric, seventeen century I believe…and that line…._Better to reign in hell, than serve in heav'n…_ is from Milton's _Paradise Lost_. What a waste of a masterpiece at the hands of a madman, sir."

"With Joker I've learned to never take anything for granted. I have to take a closer look, anything might be a clue." Bruce rubbed his face as exhaustion started to catch up to him. He then turned to face his butler that now stood beside him at the computer station. "Hey, Alfred. Don't you keep a scrapbook on all my charity work?"

"Well, yes, sir. Why?"

"And you don't happen to keep in there a picture of last year's inauguration of the Earth Ecosystem exhibit at the Wyatt Hotel, do you?"

"Most likely, but why? It was a small fundraiser and almost a year ago."

"I don't need the picture, but the news that occupied the page behind it." Bruce said trying to hold a yawn.

"Sir, you look exhausted. Maybe if you get a few hours of sleep…"

"Not now, Alfred. Joker killed four officers tonight. I need to figure this out before more people die."

Alfred nodded silently as he started towards the service entrance to the cave. "I will bring it right away, sir."

As the Butler left the main level to the cage, Bruce opened a channel through the communicator at the computer station. A familiar voice answered on the other end. "Robin, here."

"Any progress with what I asked you?"

"You were not kidding when you said there was something supernatural on all this. I've just been told the most…incredible story of castaway demons trying to open a gate to our world. We're heading now to speak with Etrigan, hoping he will give us more information."

"Etrigan is not to be trusted." Batman said remembering his previous interactions with the demon.

"We know, but Doctor Fate and the Specter think that we can convince him to help us."

"Still, be careful with him. He will try to confuse you."

"I will. And I wanted to tell you something. Frost…was not Frost. It was a creature called a Hunter, and from the video, Specter thinks this one feeds in anger and hatred. Enchantress thinks he might have a special interest in you."

"I imagined something like that, but Frost is dead now."

"No. Frost was just a vehicle and Hunters can take any shape and possess other people. Just be careful, we don't know what he wants with you yet, but you seem very important for him."

"I'll do, don't worry. Now you be careful with Etrigan," Batman said when the screen on the Bat-computer flashed in bright red; as if the night had not been already busy. Gordon had activated a few SWAT units to the Gotham Museum of History, this must be important. "Something came up. I will speak to you later. Hope you have good news for me soon."

"I will, good hunting."


	33. Hunting Grounds

_**Author's note: **No, I'm not on sabbatical again. Work had just been extremely busy this past few weeks and had not had any time to get online and my internet connection decided to die so posting was pretty close to impossible in the last few weeks. But now is time to continue the story, and get back on track (even if I have to work extra hours). So here it is, the next installment of the story for your enjoyment. Hope you like it. Please feel free to leave me any type of feedback. We authors love to hear our friendly readers speak out. Keeps us in our toes and some of you even sparks our imaginations so please be kind and review. All comments are welcomed. _

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and all related characters belong to DC COMICS. No money is made from this or any of my other stories._

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be refereces to MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS and soon to material of sexual nature. Please be advised and read at your own risk._

_BETA: This chapter has been beautifully BETA-ED by the incredible DOLLHOUSEDISASTER. Thanks a million for her wonderful help, even through a tight school schedule. You're precious! _

**Chapter 33: Hunting Grounds**

Selina saw the white ghostly face of his attacker within inches of hers, and she could feel his warm breath against her lips. The two green eyes staring down to her glowed with an inner orange fire she had not seen anywhere else and it really made her wonder if the man in front of her had gone all the way into the darkness of his soul. Joker didn't look human anymore. It was like looking into the eyes of a lion, ready to rip the throat of the gazelle under his paw. For the first time, those eyes made her shudder in fear.

"Selina," Joker whispered softly by her ear. "Help me...please."

She wanted to tell the Clown to fuck off, but her body would not obey her commands and all she could feel was the white hand pressing hard on her voice box preventing her from speaking. What had the Clown done to paralyze her in this way? The fire in the Jester's eyes flickered and disappeared for a brief second as tears appeared momentarily at the corner of his eyes. They quickly evaporated when that evil glow reappeared, redder and brighter than before and he busted into a maniacal laughter.

"Help me Selina," the Clown said catching his breath. "Help me bring him down. Only you can push him into the darkness."

Joker laughed and his laughter turned into a growl, then into a howl that echoed inside the white tiled walls of the bathroom and she knew this was the end: Joker's punch line. She closed her eyes, not to give the maniac the pleasure of seeing the fear in her eyes and waited for the final blow. Nothing happened. _What are you waiting, Joker_, she thought_, be done with it_. A long minute passed before she opened her eyes again. _What the hell?_

The Jester had vanished and she found herself all alone lying naked in her bathtub covered in cherry blossom bubbles and resting her head against a towel pillow. She sat on the tub, nervously looking around in search of the Clown. Nobody was there with her, but she felt as if she was not alone. She looked at her hands and saw the tip of her fingers wrinkled from prolonged immersion. She found the empty glass of milk beside a lavender aromatherapy candle in the right corner of the tub. Her Catwoman clothes, hood and goggles had been neatly folded over the toilet tank. Her gloves and boots were on the floor by the wall and in the background, soft jazz played from her Bose tub CD player. Could all that transpired had been a nightmare triggered by her obsession with the clown? It had looked so real, and she couldn't even remember setting the bubble bath or the music, but she could remember not able to breathe underwater and the skinny white hands touching her in private places, desecrating her body like it was a used piece of junk. The details were fuzzy and she no longer knew what was real or not.

She leaned forward and looked at the time on the CD player: twelve minutes till eleven. She has been in the bath tub well over three hours. She felt momentarily lost in time as she rose from the tub and reached for the black towel hanging from a towel rack above her. Selina wrapped herself in the towel and stepped out heading into the dark living room while water still dripped leaving a trail behind her. She was surprised that neither Captain Morgan nor any of the other cats were sitting on their favorite arm chair or the large green velvety sofa as they usually were. Actually, the house seemed deserted. She looked into the corners for signs of any of her kittens hiding away, but there was none.

She entered the kitchen in a rush, hoping they will all be lingering around the food, but there were no signs of life in the kitchen either. The unfinished bowls of milk and Cat Chow were still on the floor. She remembered the hissing and the growling. Something really wrong had happened while she was in the bathroom and it had not been a dream. She picked the phone over the island counter and dialed.

An older man answered in a familiar voice. "Wayne residence."

"Hmm…Alfred, right? This is Selina. I need to talk to Bruce. It's an emergency."

There was a short pause that for Catwoman seemed like one thousand years have gone by. Where had the butler go? He just needed to push a button to transfer her to the Bat-cave, right? It wasn't that hard or complicated.

"Batman here." Bruce finally answered.

"The Clown was in my house, and I cannot find my cats. He must've done something to the cats, Bruce." She roared into the speaker. Her words sprouting like a vine, as she spoke faster than she could think them as she tightened the large towel around her. "And I think he did something to me."

"Calm down, are you OK?" He asked receiving an affirmative answer. "How long ago was Joker there?"

"Two, three hours ago. I don't know. He attacked me in the bathroom and he…he has done something to the cats. I know it." She took a moment to take her breath. "Can you just come here, please?"

"Are you sure it was him?"  
"What, you calling me crazy in order to protect your Clown friend?"

"No, it's just that I'm in a crime scene at the Museum of History at Gotham University. Joker was here two hours ago."

Selina made a pause to think as she ran a nervous hand along her wet hair. She had woken up alone in the bathroom, lying down in a relaxing bubble bath with background music. The dirty feeling the Jester left on her made her retch, but did it all really happen? It was a very good possibility that she just had had a nightmare, but her cats were gone. No, something didn't smell right. She had the gut feeling that it had not been a dream.

"Bruce…he was here. And he did something to my cats and me." She said assertively

Batman sighed. "Alright. Don't touch anything. I'll be there as soon as I can."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker stormed into Doctor Crane's apartment at the warehouse, where the psychiatrist was reading some old clay tablets in what seemed like cuneiform writing and transcribing to a nearby notebook. Jonathan glared at the pale figure standing by the door and holding two small sculptures in his hands.

"What's wrong with you? Doesn't your host how to knock on a door?"

"YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!" Joker roared advancing menacingly towards the doctor, waving the two figures in his hands. Jonathan recognized the sculpted Bastet figurines and grimaced. He hated cats.

"What? Wasn't the museum enough fun for you?" Crane stood from his chair, backed off a few paces and hunched over preparing for a fight. A yellow glow sparked in his eyes as his breath became a puff of fog. "Why did you bring those here?"

"The souvenir shop was closed, but I wasn't going to forget about you, bro. HERE, CATCH!" Joker took aim and threw one of the sculpted cat figures against the wall beside Crane where it smashed to bits. The Jester's eyes glowed with a dark orange hue and his breath started to form a fog with every breath when he took. He then chuckled. "Oh, and did I tell you there was no warrior? You really know how to waste my time when I could've been gassing a nightclub or blowing up a hospital."

"What do you mean no warrior? The statue is there."

"The cue word is… WAS there. Before I ripped the guard's heart out he told me it had been loaned three months ago to the Museum of Natural History in New York. You need to update your contacts, my useless Brother."

"Watch your tongue!" Crane responded with an angry growl. "How was I to know they had extended the loan if the museum doesn't care to keep track of its paperwork?"

Joker grabbed the tablet Crane was reading and studied it carefully. "Slacker. We wouldn't be in this predicament if you did more…field work. You just sit here all day kissing Skeletor's ass and reading Sumerian versions of Hustler. He's not going to give you a throne, you know? You're just a Hunter and he doesn't like the color of your socks."

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Crane roared taking the tablet from the Jester's hand and pushing him aside brusquely. "What happened at the museum was not my fault. I'm the historian in this mission and I'm busy doing some real work, instead of playing around like a little girl. So if you don't mind I have important things to do."

Joker giggled. "Ouch, the Master of Pain is angry, eh Bro?" Joker giggled and embraced Crane tightly against him. He shoved the Bastet sculpture against the psychiatrist's chest who hissed in disgust. "You need a pet. Here. You can love him…and pet him…and call him George…"

"I'm not angry, just busy, so stop interrupting me with your stupid jokes," Jonathan responded snapping the bust from the Jester's hand to smash it on the floor. "Don't you have someone to kill?"

"A few." Joker busted in a childish giggle. But it is you who need to get out more often. You know, do things. Hurt someone. Cause some pain, relish on it. And to get that throne, you'll have to -."

"I don't care for the throne and if you don't leave, I might take you on your offer and hurt YOU. Now leave. I will get the schematics of the Natural History Museum so you can get…"

"Ah, ah, ah. Not this time, Bro. I am a busy Hunter too."

Crane looked at the Jester who just stared back amusedly. "Busy doing what?"

"Doing what I love: introducing chaos into the Bat's world." Joker said pushing on Crane playfully.

"This is not a game, Rancor." Jonathan growled.

"Of course it is. The best one in millennia."

"You have a mission to accomplish."

"Yeah…a-ha!" Joker rolled his eyes. "Is your brain really filled with straw?"

"STOP referring to me in such a disrespectful way," Crane warned. "You're letting that mortal clown influence you, Rancor."

"No, _Brother_ Crane. He just allowed me see our mission from a new, funnier perspective. Maybe you should learn from your host too…oh, scratch that. The doctor is as stupid and boring as you are." Joker turned around and headed out towards the exit. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to work on my wardrobe for the party. You'll bring the warrior, I'll bring the angry bat and we'll ask Twofers to bring the punch," Joker giggled, "Lord Skeletor will crank up the fire and this is going to be one Hell of a party….literally.

"You're enjoying the Clown too much. Maybe it was a bad idea to leave his soul awake."

"No….it was ideal. Now I see the funny side and realize that I'm a Master of my own destiny and I'm destined for greatness. Isn't that concept 'DA BOMB'?"

"Keep speaking like that and Master Black will rip your tongue out. You're asking for trouble."

"Oh, no, no, no. Never," Joker responded stopping by the door to cross his heart. "But you will need to make a good excuse before Lord Skeletor comes to yank your pointy ears for the oversight. I just told him it was your fault and he didn't seem too happy since you added a few more days to our tight schedule for ground zero."

"Leave now Rancor." Crane hissed and the Jester's smile widened. He was indeed getting on Crane's nerves and he enjoyed it. The anger in those yellow eyes behind the spectacles was worth an eternity of servitude to the alpha demon lord in Hades. Joker shrugged smugly and left the room humming a tune. The door slammed behind him and he busted into a frenzied laughter. From one of the rooms Pamela observed the Clown hold to the wall trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, what's up with you, gorgeous?"

"Black said he was going to make an example of you."

"Is that a hint of sincere concern, Red?" Joker said with a giggle, while Ivy studied him intensely. "Please don't. I know how you feel about me, Pam and I prefer you keep it like that. Hate me with every fiber of your being, then you will become even more…" the Jester licked his lips. "…deliciously interesting to play with."  
Joker's words made her cringe. Maybe she had been wrong, and the clown did have a plan that involved their demise, as part of a very sick joke. This man was hard to read, the mixture of evil and insanity made it difficult to accurately determine his intentions. But there was something else wrong with Joker, a glow behind those green eyes that told her something was not right. Her instincts told her to beware.

"You're up to something, Clown…I just can't figure out what."

"Then let me introduce you to my sister Lust and together we'll help you figure it out," Joker responded advancing playfully toward her. Ivy huffed angrily and turned around back into her room closing the door to the hall.

"Oh, you'll be mine Ms. Isley, just wait." The Jester said giggling happily down the hall. "See how much hatred you inspire, Funny Man? Told you you're just meat wrapping pure hate and chaos. No soul, no purpose other than…to feed me. Stop fighting and help me finish _Symphony for a dead Bat_."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Batman finished his look through the medieval exhibit, taking samples he thought might be important. There was blood in every medieval piece of the exhibit. Blood he knew would match that of the night guard that had been murdered that night. Joker seemed to have used every single piece as a torture device to tear, peel, cut, and beat the guard to death. And the Joker was not shy in signing his deed that night. Dozens of Joker playing cards were scattered throughout the museum, and the video of the mayhem had captured every moment of the Jester's violent outburst including ripping the watchman's heart that he put it in a pike in the middle of the museum's lobby. This was the proof the Joker could not have been at Selina's apartment tonight though he didn't rule out the Clown might have sent someone to impersonate him, but why?"

Gordon walked into the medieval exhibit. "He made quite a mess, didn't he?"

"Vandalism, chaos and murder have always been his inspiration."

"He took two black wooden sculptures of Bastet from the Egyptian room. Nothing else. Strange."

"But from the security video it seemed he was searching for something here as well. He just couldn't find it, and he took his frustration on the night watchman."

"The surveillance video has no audio, but forensics will be able to get something out of it. Any idea why he needed the two Bastet statues? There were more valuable things to steal."

"No, but once I take a look at the Museum inventory I will have a much better idea what he wanted with the sculptures. I think we don't have the whole story about what he was doing here tonight." Batman said looking at the chronometer in his gauntlet. "Something has come up that requires my attention Commissioner."

"Do you need some backup?"

"No, but thanks for the offer." Batman said heading out of the exhibit. "I'll see you later in your office."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Batman arrived at the East end past midnight and found Selina sitting in the darkness of her living room with her head in her hands as she sobbed softly. Catwoman was a very strong woman, a resilient soul forged in the midst of personal loss and a fierce will to survive in spite of circumstances. The woman who sat on the dark sofa in sweat pants and a black tank seemed vulnerable, weak…a shadow of the Selina Kyle he knew. His cape rustled against the balcony door and Catwoman sprung from her seat in a defensive stand, like a cat ready to strike when cornered. Once she recognized him, she let her muscles relax and threw herself into his arms.

"Selina, what happened?"

"Joker was here tonight, attacked me by surprise in the bathroom. Now my cats are gone."

Batman walked over to the far end of the apartment and turned on the light on the bathroom and took a good look around him. "You fought back?"

"Of course I fought back, but he did something to me, hindered my reflexes. I felt as if I was fighting a ghost."

"There is absolutely no sign of a fight here, Selina."

"He was here, Bruce. I'm not making this up." Catwoman responded a few decibels higher. His doubts were starting to get to her.

"I'm not saying you are. It's just that Joker…I expected he would leave something behind, to show off."

"See my clothes, my boots, and my gloves? I don't remember taking them off in there and neither do I remember setting a bubble bath. I just remember a demented clown trying to drown me in my own tub."

"Calm down. We'll figure this out. What else you remember?"

"I saw him there in the mirror. I thought I had imagined him when he surprised me from behind and tried to drown me then he…started touching me, taunting me, as he choked me until I passed out. " Selina's voice cracked as a knot formed in her throat. Her hands ran along her body as if she tried to clean an imaginary smudge on her torso and gagged. "GOD! I still can still feel his hands over me…his breath by my cheek, the repugnant smell of rotten eggs against my nostrils. Then I wake up and he just…vanishes into thin air."

"So…you were asleep?"

"I passed out, Bruce and I didn't dream this."

"I know you didn't, but you have to understand, Selina. Joker doesn't attack someone and leave no trace of his presence. It would just not be Joker."

"What about my cats? They're gone, all of them. He did something to them."

"I saw a calico cat out in your balcony."

Selina nodded. "That's Mata Hari. She wasn't here when Joker attacked me, but she now refuses to get in the house."

"This is too odd. The time frame you reported would have put Joker at the museum and here within a few minutes of each other, but then you fell asleep. Maybe you miscalculated the time."

"Passed out." Selina said exasperatedly as she pointed to the corner of the tub. "And I saw the time on the damn clock."

"Selina, you're telling me that Joker was here and at the museum almost at the same time. That is physically impossible."

"Maybe the one at the museum was not Joker."

"It is a possibility, but I saw the surveillance video and unless I can prove it otherwise, I SAW Joker at the museum tonight."

"And I saw him here too. You don't believe me, do you?"

Batman made a short pause. "I didn't say that."

"Bruce, you don't have to talk a lot to tell me everything I need to know. Your eyes speak for you."

"Selina…" Batman responded in a real faltering of words. He really wanted to believe her, but his mind lived on the facts at hand and right now the facts were not adding up. "Alright, I believe you. He was here. Did he say what he wanted?"

Selina sighed. "He was making no sense constantly arguing with himself. He asked me to hate him then he asked me to help him. Sometimes he spoke in the third person making even less sense."

"Help him with what?"

"He asked me to bring someone down. He said I was the only one who could do it."

"Did he tell you who?"

"No. Do you know what he was talking about?"

Batman shook his head. "I wonder why he would come to ask you for help when he knows you'll refuse."

"Because he's insane, that's why. And what about my cats? I think he did something really bad to them."

"I don't know, but maybe Mata Hari knows. You said she was acting strangely. Maybe she can-."

"I'm empathic with cats, but I can't read their minds, Bruce."

The Knight headed to the balcony where he found the plump calico cat laying in a corner, cleaning her fur in an almost obsessive manner oblivious to his presence. He didn't understand much about feline behavior, but it seemed that her grooming was more of an unconscious way to handle stress than just normal cat hygiene. The cat seemed uncomfortable even on the balcony. He tried to approach the cat when Mata Hari stood up with fur standing on end and hissed at him.

"Hold on, you're scaring her." She said getting in between them. "What you want?"

"I want her inside."

"I just told you, she doesn't want to be inside." Selina said picking the cat in her arms and scratching the feline's chin. Mata Hari relaxed and started purring in Catwoman's soothing hold.

"I know and I want to know why. Can you take her inside?"

"Bruce, what-?"

"Please, Selina."

Catwoman sighed and gently cradled the cat in her arms and started back into the apartment. Mata Hari stopped purring and climbed on top of Selina's shoulder looking longingly to the balcony. Kyle set her back on her arms and talked to her softly to the cat's ear while Mata Hari's tail swung violently underneath her.

"She's upset." Selina said. "Did you hear her growl?"

"Walk with her to the bathroom." He asked when Selina looked at him confused, but she knew he was not asking. Catwoman held to the Calico and started across the living room. Mata Hari's ears went down and her growling became audible as she fought Selina's grip. The cat's tail fluffed as did the fur on her back and she started to claw up Catwoman's chest. At the bathroom's door, Mata Hari finally hissed and in a state of total terror, turned around and clawed Selina's face, then jumped down and ran towards the safety of the balcony.

"I don't understand…she's never done that before." Catwoman said running a hand over the small scratch on her face. "What were you trying to prove with that?"

"I don't know, but I don't like the idea of you staying here on your own." He said as he looked behind him into the balcony. He couldn't see Mata Hari anywhere. "Would you mind packing a few things and coming with me?"

"Bruce, you're scaring me."

"I know, but it will make me feel better knowing you're safe. Please."

She noted the urgency in the Knight's face. He was not going to argue the point. He must have sensed something really wrong to ask her to leave everything behind and be with him, something that now started to terrify her. Was the Joker's presence tonight the ominous sign of horrible things to come? There was no other place where she could be safer than with him, she knew that, but why all this felt all wrong?

"It's you, isn't it? He's trying to bring you down." Like always, she found her answer in his blue eyes.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker read what he had written on his notebook aloud. A short verse, in a very complex metric describing darkness. Sweet darkness, like the one he was feeding from right now. He thought it was a very good verse, but for him it was not enough. Ever since he had merged with the mortal, he had found a fascination for human poetry. The form, the metric, and the meaning were just mindboggling. It was not the beauty in it that attracted him to it, but the wittiness of the human spirit in finding so many ways to say the same darn thing, and he was almost addicted to it. Verses trickled through his head like water in a creek, at other times it was as if he was carried downstream in the river rapids. Those moments, though infrequent, were particularly annoying, for he couldn't concentrate on anything else but the verses. The last of those moments had been at the reporter's house, and he almost had another one at Catwoman's apartment. Luckily for him, he was having too much fun with the feline to care for any stupid poetry.

"That's you fighting me, isn't it Funny Man?" Joker said looking out the open window of his sedan. He inhale deep and smiled as the corrupted smell of the city's dark soul flooded his nose. He could smell the hatred and the anger of the nightly inhabitants of this city. The smell was intoxicating. Dark mortal souls that like him, hunted the night for the weak souls that dared cross their path of evil.

"Sir?" Punch asked from the driver's seat as he watched through the rear view mirror.

"I'm not talking to you, Punch, but since you asked nicely, you can get off the interstate now. Make a right in… Winslow." Joker responded rubbing the bridge of his nose. The henchman grunted something unintelligible and turned right on the next exit to end in a narrow road between dilapidated buildings and alleyways. The Jester nodded complacently and went back to his thoughts. "And your helplessness is making you angry, isn't it? I can feel it boiling here in your chest. Anger to feed an army."

Another verse came to his head and he jotted down the four lines in his notebook. It was all about hatred and the need to kill something. Joker laughed softly. "Good boy. Hate me with everything you have. You cannot do anything to stop any of this so limit yourself to feed me. In exchange, I will let you enjoy your favorite pastime tonight."

"Boss, where are we going?" Punch asked "You have not told me where we are heading."

"I'm hunting birdies, Punch, just…." There was a long pause as Joker took another deep breath. "STOP THE CAR NOW!"

Punch got startled and stepped hard on the breaks hard. Joker stepped out of the car and moved quickly through the alleys, sniffing the air intermittently, until he stopped at dead end alleyway. It was deserted, and filth spilled from tens of unkempt trash cans and boxes flanking the alley. Parked by the wall, amidst old political posters and ads, he saw what he was searching for: a black motorcycle with red and gold highlights. It would have blended well with the red brick background and disappear from view, unless you knew what you were looking for. The Jester smiled. Behind him Punch arrived, shortened of breath as he had to run to catch up with his boss. "We found our prey, and this is going to be better than those documentaries on the Animal Planet. A Hunter and his prey. Did you bring me that box I gave you?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was in the early morning hours by the time Batman arrived to the Batcave from Selina's apartment. Ever since they had left, none of them had said a word. Bruce was trying to add the clues, figure out the Joker's game in his mind and anticipate his next move, while Selina was musing on what had Batman so spooked about the Clown. She had known Bruce for years and knew that there were only a very few things that would scare the vigilante, and the Joker had never been one of them.

Bruce parked the Bat-mobile under the high domed garage and helped Selina unload two small suitcases from the back of the vehicle. With a voice command, the car hooked itself with the diagnostic unit and a fuel line, as he accompanied Kyle through the main level towards the service elevator of the cave. She stopped in the middle of the forensic unit in the center of the lower level.

"So you're not going to tell me what has you this concerned?" She finally asked setting her suitcase beside her.

"It's just a precautionary measure until I can take Joker out of the equation." He said without turning back, a gesture Selina found most indignant. "I'll walk you to one of the guest's rooms. There you can refresh and-"

"I'm not moving a muscle unless you tell me. Is it because he knows I'm Selina Kyle and you're Bruce Wayne and you're worried he's going to get to you through me?"

Bruce stopped walking and set the suitcase in front of him, but didn't answer. There was really nothing to say. That was exactly his fear. Joker had become a formidable foe in his own right, and now that he had knowledge about who Batman was in real life, all his friends and family were in dire risk. This was just one way or reducing the variables in this equation.

"Well, did I hit the jackpot or what?" Selina insisted.

"What do you want me to say?"

"You could start by saying _'yes, you're right Selina'_ or you could tell me why you seem so scared of the Joker now. He had never spooked you like this before."

"Joker has knowledge he's using against me and he's using it to hurt the people I care for most."

"Your identity. And how did he gain that knowledge…if I'm allowed to ask?"

Bruce shook his head. The truth embarrassed him, deep inside, but there was going to be a moment when he would have to finally open up to someone. Not today, though. "I…don't know. When he had me in that cage and we talked, he seemed to know everything about me without really knowing who I was. It was like…" Batman made a pause to put his thought straight and finally turned to face her. Those aquamarine feline eyes pierced through him like daggers. No matter what the Clown was doing now, he had felt a connection with the psychopath then and he was ashamed of that. "…it was as if he had known me forever."

"You talked," Selina said slowly as if she was trying to digest the words. "You had some tea and biscuits, spoke of the weather with a demented Clown and here I thought you had been tortured."

"At the beginning he did torture me, but then Joker changed. He became coherent, calmed and…just someone else." Batman responded while his memory walked back to when the Jester told him he's real name. That had always been the Clown's most guarded secret and when he opened the door, Joker disappeared and Jack took his place. A lonely man in terrible pain and overwhelmed by his own anger "He told me the kind of person I was under the costume and he was right. It was like having a session with…"

"…with Hannibal Lecter, sans the Chianti, and the faba beans," Selina said, finishing the sentence sarcastically. "Bruce, do you realize you were talking with a certified nut? A man who has confessed to over a thousand murders because he enjoyed each one of them? Joker was manipulating you and you didn't see it. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I KNOW!" Batman barked angrily at her. "Don't you think I know I have been played like an idiot by that Clown? But he said things about me that only I thought I knew as if…he understood my anger, my thirst to right all wrongs. He understood my obsession because he is as obsessed as me. Talking to him showed me what could happen to me if I ever lose control. I don't want to fall prey of my own darkness, Selina… I don't want to be him."

"You'll never be like him."

"I've seen the darkness from up close, Selina. It's very tempting. I would like to believe I'm not like him, but the truth is that Joker and I are not…that different." It was hard to explain without giving it all away, but Bruce knew no one will understand what he went through. "He's just…out of control…addicted to his darkness."

"You two are like night and day…and you're not telling me everything. Am I right?"

"That is all." Bruce responded dryly, picking the small suitcase on the floor. "Selina, Joker has gained access to information that is setting my closed ones in danger. First Vicky, now you. I can't afford to have anybody out of my sight now, not with him out there and thirsty for blood. I need to focus on the case, but first, I need to stop Joker at all cost."

"Bruce, I don't think you can face Joker like this. I don't know what he had done to you, but he has control over you…and your fear."

"Not anymore now that you're here." He said firmly. "We'll stop him and then Sionis…before someone else gets hurt. I promise."


	34. Setting Hell Loose

**Author's note:**_ Sorry for the delay on posting guys, but this has been a busy last few months both at work and home. At least that means the economy is slowly getting better, and I'm happy, but right now, writing has slow down to a snail marathon speed, so please...bear with me. Anyways, just know I have not forgotten you guys and for you my friendly readers is this new chapter. Word of caution: Though I have made some research about angels, demons and folklore for this story (some of the names used are of 'real' demonic origin from literature) I found the whole thing very confusing. Not only because I'm not exactly a believer in any of it, but because there are version of the facts as there is countries in the world. Everybody have its own litte version of demons and angels, I guess. It is for that reason that I have 'mixed up a concoction' (more like crafted a quilt) combining concepts of BASIC demonology concepts with a total new mythos. That is the reason why you will find some of the basic stuff is what you might know on the subject, but then I take some literary liberties to reinterpret those to the needs of my story. Why am I explaining this? Because I know that demons and angels are very important for some people, and I want them to understand that this is not done as a class in religion or demonology but rather as a literary exercise. The aim of this story is not to preach but entertain. My apologies for those of you that know your demonology/angelology by heart. For one moment, belive this story is possible and just enjoy it. I'm working really hard to make it worth the read. That said..._

_ DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and all related characters are owned solely by DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be instances of VIOLENT, MATURE SITUATIONS throughout the story as well as SOME MATURE LANGUAGE. Please be advised and read at your own risk._

BETA: Another WONDERFUL piece done by my friend DOLLHOUSEDISASTER who has taken time from her very busy scholastic schedule to help me. YOU ARE AWESOME, GIRL!

**Chapter 34: Letting Hell Loose…**

Nightwing stood on the northeast end of the roof at the Gotham Globe building in the middle of Downtown. He now understood why Batman liked this place, since he could scan two thirds of the city from this vantage point. It was a very good strategic advantage during patrol. So far tonight the scan had proved unsuccessful, but he knew this city would not stay calmed forever. And it didn't take long either. He heard a loud sharp scream coming from the east side of town, followed immediately by a gunshot. Then he heard a maniacal chortle that reminded him of those old black and white horror movies…and a clown. It was time to move.

It didn't take him long for Dick to find the source of the hysterical laughter as he reached the tower of the old Gothamite Entrepreneur building. It was located in one of the oldest sections of the city and most of the buildings in this area had been abandoned, leaving just empty shells of brick and masonry that spoke of a gone era of greatness. Four stories below the east façade of the Entrepreneur, was a three-story dilapidated apartment building and on its roof, Joker had set a table with a tea set and some biscuits for what seemed an English tea party. Along with Joker, three of his biggest and meanest looking henchmen stood guard on the roof. Sharing the tea with the Clown was a very terrified woman wearing very scant clothing and lots of tattoos in both shoulders. She was tightly bound to a folding chair and gagged. Her face wore the telltale signs of a brutal beating. _Bastard_.

Nightwing put the binoculars in a back pocket of his belt and calculated the drop. Four stories drops like this were not a bad drop for someone used to work the trapeze, as experience taught the body to prepare for such falls and survive. He ran the length of his roof to catch momentum, his boots barely making a noise in the graveled floor, when he reached the eastern end of the building and jumped. As he landed with a roll on the Joker's roof he wasted no time to dispatch of two of his thugs. Only Lou remained standing, shaking behind his boss. Dick knew he was too scared to pose any threat…for now. Nightwing retrieved two metal batons from the back of his uniform and advanced slowly towards the Clown who was staring at him amusedly behind that perverse smile fixed in his face.

"Well, if it's not Boy Plunder number one…all grown up and angry." Joker said sipping calmly on his tea. "And though I was expecting someone…younger and redder, I guess you'll have to do. You mind joining Stephanie and me for some tea, m'boy?"

"You're going to make this hard, aren't you?" Nightwing said swinging his batons in the air. Joker giggled while Stephanie fought her ties and tried talking through her gag. The Jester set his cup and saucer calmly over the table and aimed two fingers against the woman's head while he mimicked the sound of a cocked gun.

"Bang…"

_Do not think, just…._ Nightwing jumped on Joker, knocking the table and tea set to the ground along with the Clown. The Jester squirmed on the ground like a snake, avoiding contact with the batons and at the first window of opportunity, threw a kick to the hero's midsection. Dick staggered backwards to regain his footing and his wind when he looked at the side of his chest. At the level of the fourth rib, the black fabric of his uniform had been torn. He felt the tear and confirmed the armor underneath was dented but still intact, then looked at the Joker's feet as the Clown rose and put some distance between them. On the tip of Joker's right shoe, a small dagger still protruded a few centimeters. _Sneaky bastard._

"You know kid, it is rude to attack a defenseless person," Joker said combing the wild curls of his hair with a hand. Dick checked on Lou's location which had not changed and rose to face Joker, rubbing the two batons together as if he was sharpening the knife to carve the turkey. Joker smiled wide and invited him to charge…_Perverted son of a bitch…_

"You're anything but defenseless, Joker." Dick said pointing at the Jester's shoe.

"I was being civilized here, Dumbwing." Joker said cynically, adjusting his jacket. "I invited you to a friendly cup of tea."

"Laced with strychnine, I'm sure."

"Now we're getting a little presumptuous, aren't we? LOU!" Joker snapped at his thug who jumped where he stood. Nightwing turned to look what was up with the henchman when he was surprised by a loud gunshot. Turning back to Joker he saw the smoking gun in the Jester's hand, and then looked at Stephanie. She sat motionless with her head hanging down, a bullet wound visible on her right temple. From her left temple, blood and brain matter started to pour to the ground. Nightwing's jaw tightened. _Stupid Dick, very_ _stupid._

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Yes, stupid Dumbwing. Didn't daddykins tell you not to ever get your eyes off me?"

_How did he…That's it, Clown. _Nightwing growled and lunged at the Clown with all his fury. Joker proved a harder target to hit than Nightwing expected. The Clown effectively blocked two blows, dodged a third and finally took advantage of the momentum to stop a fourth in midair by holding to Dick's wrist. The Jester's smile widened as he grabbed Nightwing's other wrist, kicked him in his midsection and swung the boy around sending him halfway across the roof like a ragdoll. Dick hardly had time to plan his landing when he realized that he had lost one baton to the Clown who showed it off triumphantly in his right hand. With his left, Joker teased the boy to attack him again. Dick paused to analyze his options.

"You know, Blue Boy. I've always wondered why your daddy replaced you with those _'other'_ Robins. I guess you didn't measure for the job, but heck…neither did Jason, did he? That's why I had to put the little brat out of commission…permanently, you know?" Joker giggled and cleared a tear from his eye. Dick grunted in disgust. "And after this pathetic display, I think you need to be recycled too. Did you leave your balls at the batcave, boy?"

_Forget the options, JUST SHUT HIM UP!_ Without exchanging a single word, Dick lunged at the Jester again, this time using a combination of kicks with swings of his remaining baton. It was obvious that Nightwing was not planning his punches anymore, as the attack was been driven by anger more than by brains, and Joker seemed to be ahead of every move, blocking and dodging every wild swing. Dick finally connected the edge of his baton into Joker's lower jaw making the Clown lose his balance, as blood sprayed from his mouth. Nightwing gave the coupe the grace punching solidly the Jester's ribcage, and then kicking him flat on the face. Joker groaned as blood spurted from his mouth and he fell to the ground holding his side. Nightwing went for the kill, but as he got ready to smash the Clowns' skull, Joker raised his baton to block the punch. Two small round metallic marbles rolled on the floor towards Dick.

_Marble grenades._ Nightwing backed off from the explosives as they went off and a thick dark cloud of purple smoke filled the roof. From within the cloud, Joker jumped like a rabid animal with the baton high in the air ready to land on Dick's head. Metal clang against metal as Dick blocked the punch, but Joker's feral attack managed to force Nightwing into a sudden retreat. Dick swung the baton aimed at the Jester's head, and Joker dodged it by kneeling down. The momentum left Dick wide open for the Clown to smash his baton against Nightwing's right knee. Bone cracked and Dick fell on his injured knee letting out a howl. Joker connected another hit on the hero's face. Before he hit the floor, Joker picked the other baton from Dick's hand and started playing with them in his hands like a drummer. Nightwing tried getting up, when the Jester pushed him face down onto the floor and stepped on his back.

"Yep, I can see why you outlived your usefulness. What's wrong with you, Dumbwing? I'm as old as dirt and you fight like my grandmother…in a walker." Dick tried to raise and charge again, when Joker connected his shoe to Nightwing's face, and swung both batons to break an arm and a few more ribs. Dick fell to the ground with a grunt, spitting blood to the floor; his breathing shallow and heavy.

"No witty comeback? I'm disappointed, really." The smile in the Clown's face widened. "Anger can sometimes be a bitch. Am I the culprit of this awful feeling for defeating you fair and squared or is it the resentment of having been replaced for someone younger? Used like tissue paper…YUCK! That's how much HE cared for you. I don't understand why you would still want to don a costume. Oh, I forgot. Your parents' death…just like his. Pain leads to anger…leads to hate…and leads to the Darkside my young Padawan. Simply stating it makes you easy to manipulate by him while it makes you a succulent dish for someone like me." The Jester smacked his lips and laughed. "Now don't deny that THAT is funny…why aren't you laughing?"

Joker paced around the defeated hero, like a vulture flies around a dying gazelle waiting for the prey to take its last breath, but this prey refused to die. Dick panted on the floor with nostrils dripping blood; signs that he probably had a collapsed lung thanks to a maniac he would not have had trouble subduing any other time but tonight. What was going on here? This Joker fought like a grizzly bear…on steroids. Not only that, this Clown knew first names and details that he thought were his most sacred secrets, and he couldn't think how Joker had gotten a hold of them.

As in cue, two tears fell down the Clown's cheeks that he quickly wiped with a sleeve. "Poor little Dumb-wing. It's sad that you need someone like me to tell you the cruel truth that he never dared tell you. He never loved you, I don't think that is a word in his vocabulary. You were just cannon fodder, kid. Tell me, has he ever called you 'son' like he does to his latest Robin…put you in his will? He didn't have to, you were so angry at the world, you'd believe anything he would have told you. New kid on the block needed new lies to join on the Robin clan even sharing his last name that he never offered you. You wanna know what he told Jason?

"How do you know...?"

"Oh, you're daddy told me. Now open your eyes, Dumbwing. You outgrew your usefulness when you didn't fit on those red and green tights anymore and you know why? Because you were not supposed live to adulthood. Let me enlighten you on how this should've worked: The Robin keeps US busy by taking a bullet, a stab, a bang, whatever, and D-I-E-S…" Joker shrugged smugly. "…THEN someone else gets picked from his black list to don the tights once more. A well calculated plan if you ask me…until YOU didn't die."

"What...the hell…are-?" Dick tried to say between breaths when he was surprised by another brutal attack from the Clown. Nightwing tried to block the blows, but it was like trying to stop a wrecking ball with a fly swat. Suddenly, it became very hard for Dick to breathe and he had to work hard for the precious air to reach his lungs.

"Did I tell you, you could interrupt me little worm? You just listen to teacher, OK?" Joker said joyfully at the sight of the bloodied body underneath him that still refused to die. Two more tears came down and the Jester rubbed them off bewildered. It had to be the joy of the kill, yes. Killing Robins was no longer what it used to be, but that doesn't mean he couldn't enjoy it after all he had developed a lethal taste for Batman's sidekicks. Joker tossed the batons aside and lifted Dick by his bloody uniform until he was inches from his face and inhaled deeply relishing on the smell of his enemy's anger. In an unconscious reflex, Nightwing held to the Jester's wrists and tried to push away, but he had no strength left on him, not even to force the air into his chest. The world around him started to black out and he could feel the coppery taste of his own blood filling his mouth. Joker grasped Dick's hands and leaned over him rejoicing on the bloodied mess he had created on the young man's face.

"Hate…enough to consume you and take you to the darkness within, but like your mentor you put limits to the darkness, why Dick? _Thou shall not kill_. Both your loyalty for his mission and your love for this doomed city are pathetic. Don't you find it contradictory the Bat told you not to kill, but dressed you in a costume so brightly colored that said, 'here I am…just shoot me!'" Joker said with mocking concern, "I know life is not easy, but death…well that is an art form you're going to experience and when you die you'll hate everything you are…everything he made you…everything he used you for. Please hate me too or I'll feel left out. Dick Grayson: The Bat's Boy Toy in more ways than one. Your parents will be so disappointed if they saw you in your pathetic life or lack of thereof. I wonder if you'll see them upstairs, because if I was them, I would not like to ever see you again. And no one would blame them."

"Screw….yowf, jfoht wldlr," Nightwing's words quickly became unintelligible as he slowly drifted into shock from his internal injuries, blood escaping from his lips at a constant flow.

"You said something birdie? Don't YOU dare go to sleep on me now when I have not finished playing with you." Joker smashed Dick's head against the hard floor twice. Nightwing didn't even groan. Tears pooled in the Jester's eyes. "What the hell is wrong with me? It has to be the joy of killing another of his birds. I could do this forever, Lou. For-e-ver." Joker giggled as Lou just stared. "Now it's time to sign my masterpiece."

Joker removed his gloves and pressed a hand over Dick's chest. The fabric burned away and the armor started to melt under his touch, searing the bruised skin underneath in the shape of a bat. Nightwing tensed and howled in pain, as Joker started to laugh loud. He then pulled the blistered skin with his nails, blood poured from the exposed muscles and fat, but this time Dick didn't even groan. Joker and kicked Dick on the groin…not even a grunt. The Clown stood and fumbled in one of his pockets, pulling a deck of Joker cards he poured over Nightwing's body. He motioned to Lou to give him the package he had been entrusted with before and after checking the tiny card attached to it he left it beside Nightwing. Joker pulled his cell phone from a jacket pocket and dialed 911.

"Good evening, this is Jeremy. What is the nature of your emergency?"

"I need a few pigs to pick up a dead bird." Joker said between giggles.

"Excuse me?"

"This is the Joker and I've just killed Nightwing. Please ask the pigs to pick up the carcass before it starts to smell. Rooftop at corner of Lee and Bolland streets. Presto." Joker started to laugh.

"God…"

"No, God doesn't get his hands dirty, but one very naughty Clown does. Tell the police Joker says hi and if I find out you didn't, well, I sure will have no trouble finding where you live Jeremy. Catch my drift?" Joker put away his phone and looked at Lou who just stared nervously at his boss. "Wake up your friends and let's go big guy. This one will definitely cause a commotion."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The moment Bruce received the call from Gordon, his only goal was to get to the scene of the crime as soon as he could, and it didn't matter that he was doing well over a hundred miles an hour in the interstate, it was not fast enough to get there. Catwoman had been surprised by the call too, and even more for Wayne's reluctance to explain what was going on. A simple…_ 'we have to go'_, in a voice that seemed extracted from an old tomb was all she needed to know that this was not the moment to ask questions, but just get back in costume and do as she was told. Not another word was exchanged between them until Batman arrived at the corner of Lee and Bolland.

No one stood in their way, and no one even tried to talk to him as he rushed in and up the stairs towards the roof. Once he arrived at the scene of the crime, he noticed the Forensics team already picking through the rubble and broken pieces of china. In another corner, a body sitting in a chair was covered in a white blanket stained with blood and Batman froze where he stood. Gordon rushed to meet him.

"I'm sorry…" the Commissioner started saying knowing there was not much that could be said to ameliorate pain like this. Batman didn't respond, but started to walk towards the covered corpse. "We flew him to Gotham Central as soon as we realized he was still breathing."

"Still breathing…" Batman repeated as if he could not believe what had happened. He stopped walking and looked back at the Commissioner. "You said…"

"Well, when Joker called 911 he said he had killed the boy and he looked dead when we arrived so we assumed the worst. But he was barely alive, breathing very shallowly. We called a helicopter to get him."

Batman looked over to the covered body. "And who is the victim?"

Gordon pulled his notebook and flipped through his notes. "Stephanie Miller, age twenty-three. She escaped from home at fourteen and has worked the streets since. She was shot once on the head." The Commissioner sighed deeply. "And we already notified her immediate family."

"Do you know what happened exactly?" Catwoman asked.

"We think Nightwing arrived either some time before or after Joker shot the girl and tried to take on the Clown by himself."

"He knew better than to take on Joker alone," Batman added. "He must've been ambushed."

"Which makes me think this was a trap set up by Joker, but not for Nightwing." The Knight turned to look at Gordon quizzically. "It was for you. Nightwing was just at the wrong time in the wrong place."

Bruce looked over to the east where the sun was starting to glow along the horizon "It's almost daylight. I doubt Joker was expecting me to be on patrol at this time after all he had done to keep me busy."

"So he's doing this to get to you somehow. That is the only thing I can think of…but why is he obsessed with you like this?" Batman did not answer. "In twenty-four hours he has targeted Ms. Vale, a museum night watchman, the prostitute, Nightwing and Catwoman."

"ME?" Selina said exchanging very suspicious looks between Gordon and Batman. "So how…you know?"

"That he targeted you as well? He left you a package tonight. Follow me." Gordon responded walking towards a small table were the forensic team was gathering bags and boxes of evidence. The Commissioner handed Selina a silver gift box adorned with a purple ribbon. As she opened the box, the color in her face disappeared and tears pooled in her eyes. She then fell on her knees and started to sob.

"God….no…no…n-." Her voice trailed off.

Batman rushed to kneel beside her and took a look at the contents of the box. Inside was a thick fur coat made up of cuts of pelt of different colors and textures. On close analysis, he realized the reason why it had affected Selina so hard. The waist length coat was made up completely of animal pelts carefully sewn together in a pattern with colorful purple yarn. Inside the coat's lining, was a handwritten note:

_If you loved them that much…then wear them now._

"I'm sorry…" That was all Batman could say, but even he knew it would not be enough to ease the pain. Selina looked at him resentfully.

"YOU'RE SORRY NOW? It's little late for that." Batman tried to say something when Selina slapped him in the face and stood up staring down furiously at him. "You're still missing it, aren't you? This wouldn't have happened if you would have listened to me. I told you. You know him….what he's capable of and you still… let this happen. THIS IS YOUR FAULT….AND I HATE YOU FOR IT!

Selina turned around and walked away towards the building's edge. Batman just stood silently and looked at her for a moment before turning to Gordon who had a look of surprise in his face after having witness the exchange. And he was not the only one. The Commissioner's entire investigative team was staring intently at the Detective. Gordon motioned his staff to get back to work and got close to Batman.

"I don't mind to intrude, but…is there something I need to know?"

"The coat is made of cat fur." Batman made a short pause. "From cats she knew well."

"Sadistic son of a bitch, but that means he knows Catwoman's identity…no?"

"I don't know, but I'll ask Joker when I find him. This has gone far enough." Batman took a moment to breathe deeply. It was obvious that he was being pushed to the limits of his body and mind. He looked where Selina had been standing just moments ago and saw no one. He briefly felt the urge to go after her, keep her safe from Joker if he tried to reach her again, but he knew that in her state of mind now, she was better by herself. Not even the Clown would dare to cross her now, unless he was ready to die.

"I have a copy of the National Library and the museum in my office."

"I'll get them later today Jim," Batman responded dryly, the stony expression on his face spoke volumes of the pain and sorrow he was trying to restrain. "Right now…I have to go."

"I understand," Gordon said as the Detective started to leave the scene.

Batman walked out of the building like a ghost in a cemetery. The look on his face reflected the resentment and anger he was feeling inside. He has been played like a toy by a bloodthirsty maniac, and this same maniac was now starting to hurt those close to him. It was time to get off the game and put an end to the madness. And in any way he looked at it, that probably meant putting an end on the Joker…for good. No one knew his secrets until now, and that had proven how vulnerable he had become. What would prevent Joker from sharing his knowledge with the rest of the world? If every criminal in Gotham knew what Joker knew…his life of crime fighting would be done and the city will fall into total darkness. That would be his greatest failure and Joker's greatest joy. The Detective got into his Bat-mobile and stared the engine. There was much to think about, but now only one thing fit in his mind...Nightwing. He headed towards Gotham central.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Harley sat at the edge of the chair, trying to do the crossword puzzle on the back of her TV Guide and then looked at the clock, tapping her pen nervously on the dining table in Ivy's kitchen. No use, her mind was not in here. In front of her, she had the little snapdragon Pam had used to communicate with her, sitting comfortably in her tiny pot. She looked at the clock again, not even ten seconds had passed and she wondered what was Red waiting to call her to tell her everything was now peachy and she was coming home. She knew Poison Ivy could take care of herself with no problems, but when Pam had mentioned that the Joker could be in trouble, her heart raced like a carrousel out of control.

She knew she shouldn't worry about him and that probably he didn't care for her, but she couldn't help it. She still cared for the psycho in some sick way. _Teach Joker a lesson_…she repeated to herself. What if Blackie wanted to take his anger out on Ivy as well? That would be two of the people she cared most in the whole world. Well, really it would only be one and half, for she had learned to shun some of her feelings for Joker now that she had Ivy by her side.

In any ways…she just couldn't sit here and pretend like everything was right and play crosswords when she knew someone could be in real danger. She had to do something or she was going to explode. Harley made up her mind. Putting the pen hard on the table she left her crossword and rushed to her room and searched under her bed until she pulled an old beaten up leather suitcase. She unzipped the top of the suitcase and pulled out the red and black horned hood of her Harlequin costume. It was time to bring an old friend home.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

10:45 am. Bruce was still glued at the computer screen of his computer. He needed to sort the pieces of this puzzle before everybody else got hurt. He didn't seem to be able to concentrate after seeing Nightwing at the hospital connected to all those machines that were keeping him alive. If Gordon would have arrived a few minutes later, Dick would have died, and Joker would have had the last laugh. Suddenly his heart filled with hatred towards the Clown, and himself. He hated the Clown for taking his madness on the people he loved most, and he hated himself for letting the Clown figure out his innermost secrets that led to this. Tim arrived at the Cave and joined the Detective at the computer station.

"This has been intense," Drake said setting his costume cape on a nearby chair. "How's Dick?"

"Critical, but stable." Bruce responded without taking his eyes from the screen. "He still has not regained consciousness. Until the brain swelling subsides, they can't assess the extent of the damage from the attack. He also lost a lot of blood…after Joker seared the bat-symbol on his chest."

"Bastard…That Clown is no match for any of us, Bruce. I wonder what he had to do to ambush him." Tim sat on the chair.

"Joker had a hostage and that would have hindered Dick from trying much. What happened next, only Dick knows," Bruce said turning to Tim. "What were you able to gather with the Pact?"

"Like you predicted, Etrigan tried to play us, but when Dr. Fate and Specter got tough on him, he decided to cooperate." Tim pulled the chair closer and rested against the computer station and told the story of the demonic war for control of Hades. Augor lost and was banned for all eternity.

"And Black wants to bring Augor back." Batman said.

"All points to that, but we think that there might be old demon followers involved using Black and his thugs to gather all the necessary spells and materials to reopen the gate to Augor's prison. Etrigan said four of Augor's followers were spared his fate as long as they didn't challenge Lucifer's absolute rule. All but two stayed in our world and guess what?" Tim held this breath as if to help bring up the suspense. "One of them lives in Gotham."

"Has the Pact contacted them?" Bruce inquired as the mystery started to unravel in front of him.

Tim shook his head. "One refused meeting with the Pact and the other is believed dead."

"Dead? I thought demons were immortal."

"The big guys like Lucifer and Augor pretty much, but all the other lesser demons and Hunters can be killed using the right weapons."

"We need to speak to that demon."

"Specter said you might want to do that and he thinks it's not a good idea." Robin shook his head. "We have a Hunter with an interest in you for who knows what. You see…Hunters used to be Lucifer's servants and now suddenly, they switch sides. Not a good sign according to Zatanna and her friends, and since we don't know what side this demon is working for, you could be doing exactly what they want you to do. They want you off the case."

"I'm not going to step back."

"Z was right when she said you wouldn't and that's why she gave me this." Tim produced a small pendant made of a fiery green crystal and extended it to Bruce to examine closer. "It's connected to the Pact…like a bug in your phone. They need to keep an eye on you until they can figure out what role you play in all this. It's for your own safety."

"So they're going to spy on me?" Bruce retorted with obvious mortification.

"Not spy, protect you. Besides, you might need the Pact to interpret whatever information the demon decides to share with you." Bruce didn't say anything and just stared at the pendant. "Come on…just wear it, underneath the armor where no one could see it. It doesn't matter."

"I don't like to be spied on…"

"But we have no choice if you are going to stay in the case. They were very clear about that." Tim set the pendant in front of Batman who looked at it suspiciously. "I just want to see you safer, Bruce. Please, do it for me."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Harley arrived at the address Pamela had given her through the snapdragon way into the morning. The tall office building seemed abandoned, except for the two SUV's parked in the back. No security officers or patrols were visible anywhere within the property, which hinted Quinn that the surveillance system probably consisted of cameras and microphones and at this time of day, it will hinder her ability to sneak into the building to meet with Pam. She looked at her watch and sighed. Just thinking that Pamela or Joker were prisoners here made her skin crawl and she knew that the wait was going to kill her. What if they needed her now? She saw movement and she rushed to hide behind and abandoned dumpster about five hundred feet away.

From her safe lookout place, she saw Edward Nigma leave the building accompanied by two large thugs. Riddler and carrying a heavy red book. The men, large body building type Latinos, carried cardboard boxes in his hands. Nigma motioned the men to load the boxes in the van while he pulled a letter sized red piece of glass from within the book and examined it closely against the sun. The sparkle of the glass created a focused beam of light that hit the ground causing the grass to burn. Nigma kissed the glass and put it away as he entered the van along with his thugs. The van engine roared and they left the parking lot north.

"What are you up to Eddie?" She said rushing to where she had parked her scooter and headed out to follow Riddler. Maybe there she will find more information, and maybe Ivy or Joker as well.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Batman and Robin arrived at the address where the rogue demon lived. From the outside it looked like any other residence. A small two story house with a modern angular stucco façade and the sloped roof made out of real clay tiles making the house a strange amalgam of Spanish colonial and postmodern styles. Tim had suggested to use the door in the back to get access to the house, but Batman had other plans. He grappled towards the roof and used one of the windows in the second floor to enter. It was obvious that the Detective didn't believe that a demonic house will just be as harmless as a regular mortal home. For all he knew…this could be all a façade to something really macabre.

Entering the house through one of the upper windows didn't prove that hard, and the house still looked inside like any grandmother's house. Canopy beds and old English style furniture occupied the bedroom that was painted in a soft cream latte color. The silence in the house was almost creepy, and he had wondered if the demon kept a daytime job like any other mortal man. That would be odd, but if the house was empty, he could examine it without being interrupted.

From the bedroom they ventured into the carpeted hall and then to checked on the remaining rooms that were not so different than the one they entered through. He reached the stairs, Robin following close behind him and as he started down, he saw a fast shadow cross along the lobby towards the living room. Batman froze on the stairs until he was sure they had not been discovered and kept down until he reached the first floor. A faint humming could be heard from the kitchen and they both advance carefully until they could peek in. A spectacled man in his late fifties and a gray receding hairline stood by the kitchen counter eating a bowl of Cheerios while watching the morning news on a small TV screen over the range in front of him.

"Was wondering when you two would come down," the man said putting a spoonful of cereal in his mouth while not taking his eyes off the TV. Batman stood in full view at the door frame. The man lifted a glass and sipped some orange juice, still not looking at the dark figure by the door. "You guys like what I did to the house? I am more of an eclectic when it comes to decorating."

"You already knew we were here?" Batman asked. The old man nodded through a mouthful of cereal.

"Ever since you parked a few blocks away. It's hard not to miss your stench, Specter."'

"The name is Batman." The detective growled.

"I'm talking to your partner, rodent." Batman looked at Robin who just stood there staring at the man in the kitchen. The boy wonder seemed frozen in place, his eyes empty and cold. The old man gazed at the duo from above his thick metal rimmed glasses. "Oh, so you didn't tell him you will be…wearing the boy, eh? Naughty boy, Allen."

Robin tensed and a mist rose from his chest to form a tall man in a green hood and eyes empty of any human emotion that stood between the kid and the Batman. Tim exhaled deeply and wobbled slightly where he stood, but quickly regained his footing, then looked at his confused mentor and limited himself to shrug.

"I should have known." The Knight angrily said. "The pendant was just a distraction."

"My apologies, Batman, but we thought it would be better if you didn't face Amiel…alone." Specter responded stepping forward to meet the demon. "You're partner agreed to serve as a vessel for me, just to keep you safe."

"Correction, you thought that wearing a mortal body will prevent me from detecting you here after I clearly forbade you to enter. You're definitely-." The demon stopped his discourse to focus on the small TV screen on the kitchen counter then took another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "—hold on, that's the weather report."

"Are you sure this is the demon, Specter?" Robin interrupted, "I mean, where is the brimstone, the fire and all that stuff? And isn't he supposed to have horns and cloven hooves or something?"

"I find all that medieval lore of demons pretty insulting," the demon said obviously annoyed as he pointed to his head and feet. "Do you see any horns or hoofs here? No you don't because they're not—," the old man turned to his TV. "Damn. Happy now? You just made me miss the weather. I wonder if it's going to rain on Bingo tonight."

"You served Augor?" The Knight inquired. There was a long pause before the old man answered as if he was measuring his words carefully while he studied the dark figure of the Knight.

"Go home, Bat-man. This is a war that doesn't concern you…or me."

The Knight lunged at the old man and, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the floor a few centimeters until he met eye to eye with the demon. The old man's wrinkled face extended to a smile.

"It concerns me when your kind starts killing innocent people in my city, and you're the only link I have to your demon master. Either you help us or-."  
"Feisty one, isn't he, Specter?" The demon said through a toothy smile as he glancing over Batman's shoulder to where Allen and Robin stood. After he set the now empty bowl of cereal on the counter, he inhaled deeply and let out an amused chuckle. "…and passionate, I'd give him that. But there is more to this mortal than just the rodent fetish, isn't there? This is personal…I can taste it in his soul."

Batman threw the demon across the kitchen towards the entrance door where a terrified woman no older than fifty had dropped her grocery bag to reach for the old man on the floor. Her eyes flooded with tears.

"Oh, for God sake Fred, what's going on?" She said wiping the small amount of blood seeping from a little cut on the old man's head. She turned angrily towards the vigilante. "And you call yourself a hero? You have no right. We have no money and I'll not call the police. Just take anything you want and leave us…please."

"Martha, I'm fine." The demon said holding the woman's face tenderly in his hands. "It was all a misunderstanding."

"What? But he just…"

"He just pushed me and I tripped, but I'll be OK, really. Now do me a favor, sweetheart. Go upstairs and wait for me. I need to talk to them…in private."

"What do they want?"

"Answers…now go up. I have everything under control." The demon rose and helped his wife with the groceries on the floor. Once done, he held her hands tightly in his and looked into her tired brown eyes. "Trust me… Just wait for me upstairs. OK? I promise I'll explain everything, later. Please…sweetheart."

The woman exchanged worried looks between Fred and the three strange visitors then nodded silently and walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. The old man set the grocery bag on the counter by the TV and washed the blood in his face, then faced his guests, glaring at the Knight.

"You're so lucky that I don't eat mortals for lunch anymore Batman. Otherwise this city will be missing one hell of a hero."

"Your name is…Fred?" Tim asked with obvious bewilderment in his question. The old man put a finger over his mouth. "What kind of name is that?"

"Fred beats _Amiel_ a hundred to one…and I like it that way. Don't use that…other one here, alright? I see Eligos has Hunters working for him now." The demon said. Tim tried to say something when Fred raised a warning hand, "I know because your cowled friend smells like one. I wonder why a Hunter would mark you without hurting you or your soul …"

"That is what I would like for you to tell me." Batman said wrapping himself on his cape. "You mentioned Eligos, who is he…or she?"

Fred's eyes narrowed in anger. He could read the hidden meaning between the words and he didn't like it. "Don't you even dare insinuate that, Bat-man. Martha is like you, a mortal…and my wife. And if you think demons can't fall in love… WRONG! Now you understand why I don't want to get involved in this. Not only for me, but also for her. Now leave us alone."

"If Augor makes it back, you're sentencing her to death, Fred, even if you don't get involved." Specter said gravely. "You know Augor and you know what he will do when he finds about your…unauthorized retirement?"

The old man remained silent staring at the trio. In his mind the demon debated the conflicting emotions of stopping the upcoming war of remain as a mere observer and just hope that Augor would be on the losing end…again. It would be just so easy to turn around and ignore Specter and the mortal heroes. Expel them from his home and forget they were ever here. But then, Augor had made powerful allies when he joined forces with Hunters. Allies that would not have turned their winged backs from their demonic lords, unless there was something to be gained from all this and Augor would grant anything to whomever would free him from his prison.

"You make that a difficult argument to debate, Specter." Fred said looking longingly to the stairs where he had seen his wife go and sighed. "Alright. Tell me what is it you have and let's see how I can help you."


	35. Can You See Tears In the Dark?

_**Author's Note:** Hello, it's Jokerlady again, bringing you another chapter. Like always I've taken some time to post but I've been working on several Joker mega projects and working extra hours at the clinic. I am trying my best, I promise. Anyways, it's glad to be back, and hope you like my new chapter. You will now see what everybody is up to...slowly unraveling this intricate spider web to hopefully bring forth the end everybody wants. I would also take a moment to thank all of you out ther that have faved my stories (especially this one) as well as set alert for updates. Thank you for your trust, and I hope I can delilver you the story you deserve. _

_I would also take a moment to introduce you to one of my projects: JOKER'S LAIR. You will find all the information in my bio page, but it's basically a site dedicated to the Clown Prince of Crime. There are comics loaded, nifty Joker articles and some updates on our beloved clown. If you visit dont' forget to leave me feedback to make the site better, though that is on the works._

_DISCLAIMER #1: Batman and related characters belong to DC COMICS. Don't sue, please_

_DISCLAIMER #2: There will be refereces to MATURE SITUATIONS and LANGUAGE as well as circumstances of SEXUAL INNUENDO. In this chapter there will be a mild reference to INCEST, so readers be warned._

_BETA: Another wonderful job done by DOLLHOUSEDISASTER, again sacrificing time from her busy schedule. She is a sweetheart. Thanks a million to her for all her help._

_Now to the story..._

**Chapter 35: Can You See Tears in the Dark?**

Fred listened carefully to Specter's explanation as he finished pouring some coffee in a green ceramic mug. Every revelation made his demeanor darker and more somber. The color in the old man's face faded slowly, as if someone had just told him that he had only three days to live.

"You sure you don't want any coffee? It's Kona…really good," Fred asked jovially trying to lighten the atmosphere that had slowly built up in between them. When no one answered, he simply took a sip from his coffee and stared into the mug as if expecting the next words to come up from the infusion within. "That is not the best news to bear in a moment like this. With all the keys and the mask, Eligos has most of the tools he needs to open Augor's prison."

"So the keys…are not really keys to open Hell's Gates." Robin said. "Knowing that would have saved us some time don't you think?"

"The legend was created to be just that…a story to tell by the campfire," Fred poured some cream in his coffee. "Still…Eligos will need one hell of a puzzle solver to get through the Book of Riddles. This is not your average Sudoku. I know demons that have spent all their existences trying to get to the meaning of the puzzles."

"Riddler is one of the best code breakers alive. If someone can decipher the enigmas, it would be him." Batman said studying some old pictures on a nearby wall. "This Eligos… is he a demon like you?

Fred sighed. "Yes, but in a higher rank. There's me, there are Archdemons and then there are Princes like Lucifer and Augor. Eligos is Augor's brother. In our ancient mythology we called them the Twins, sprout the same day from the same divine spark...and they even corrupted that spark the same day. What an irony."

"Fred… Eligos was locked up with his brother…" Specter interjected

"It was rumored that he had been spared, but no one ever heard of him again so no one knew for sure. Lucifer was very clear; do not to mention his name again or face death, so we didn't say a thing. Eligos will be the only one that would be interested in opening that door. A mortal will be a fool to try to tame an angry Prince like Augor."

"If what you say is true, this just complicates things." Specter said with obvious tension in his voice. Fred just nodded sadly.

"If Eligos were to live among us…he will need to have a human host, like you." Batman said.

Fred studied the Detective's stone like face and smiled. "You are really good. What gave it away that this…was not my real body?"

"Hunters can jump from body to body, meaning you have no real corporeal form."

"Simply brilliant, but somewhat insulting," Fred said with chuckle. "We are NOTHING like the Hunters. Those little bastards are parts of other demons' souls hence subordinate lower ranked spirits, but still, your reasoning holds true. The real Fred was dying in a hospital when I found him. I decided to use his body when he expired. Easier to explain the miraculous cure of terminal cancer than the missing body from the morgue, you know?

"So Eligos could have possessed another dead body?"

"Princes don't need a physical form, but if he would've wanted to possess something he would've not cared if it was dead or alive. They just take what they want. You've done your homework, Detective." Fred applauded mockingly.

"You're thinking about Black Mask, aren't you?" Robin asked.

"That would explain why Sionis' body was missing from his grave."  
Fred nodded. "And using the carcass is easier than having to contract a mortal for the job. Besides, with such power in the underworld, he would not have any problem in gathering the ten dark souls he needs to release his brother which I guess he has already done from your most wanted list."

"Dark souls?" Specter inquired. "There is no history of any dark souls-."

"Nothing is free in this world, Specter, why would you expect it to be in ours? Opening the doors not only requires the keys, it also requires the sacrifice of ten dark souls. You know, murderers, thieves, psychos, and the like. Once the gate opens, these souls will become Augor's personal bodyguards and nothing will get through them, I guarantee you. Whatever you plan to do, it needs to be done before they open that door."

"How long do we have before they can open the next door?"

"Not much. Next full moon, a week and a half from today. If he misses the time frame, Eligos will have to wait another thousand years until he can try again. But we're still missing two important ingredients: the Warrior's song and the Book of Mirrors." Everybody looked at Fred and then among themselves. "Please tell me he hasn't gotten those yet…"

"Some of the pages of the Book of Mirrors seem to be…missing. But…what exactly is the Warrior's song?"

"You have really being misled into this mess, Specter." Fred sighed. "Well, the mask that was in Wayne's collection contains the soul of the only mortal Augor was never able to corrupt. Lucifer wanted Augor's humiliation to be complete so he got hold of it and used it to lure him and then seal him on the other Realm. The Warrior's songs are the incantations used to seal the soul into the mask and will be needed to open the gate. They are said to have been written on the armor of that noble warrior."

"You also mentioned the Book of Mirrors…what exactly is that?" Batman inquired

"The original gate," Specter explained, "was a very large piece of glass made from the purest materials they could use in its time. Once they trapped Augor and his minions, legend says the crystal became stained with the rage and blood of those thousand demons on the other side. Men cut down the glass, and scattered the pieces all over Europe where they were used to make large stained glass windows to decorate churches and monasteries."

"You said stained glass windows?" Batman inquired. Suddenly everything was making a lot of sense.

"Yes, you know…those beautiful windows in churches with masterpieces made of different colored glass and…?" Fred said mockingly when he noted the Knight was not amused of being explained the obvious. He cleared his throat before going on. "The ancients thought that if the glass was part of a church or religious building, no demon would dare go in once they realized who was trapped within. Augor has a reputation that precedes him."

"Why not destroy the door…obliterate the glass to dust." Robin asked. "That would have prevented all this mess in the first place and guarantee nobody would come back."

"That would be obvious , I know, but mortals are flawed creatures The sorcerers had the brilliant idea to try controlling Lucifer by keeping the threat of Augor returning from the other side. Human arrogance only made Lucifer angrier and to teach them a lesson, he killed almost everyone involved in this and the keys along with the gate were soon lost in time. All but one of them lived to die naturally."

"But they will need to reassemble the glass pieces. A needle in a haystack if you ask me." Robin said.

"And that is exactly what the Book of Riddle does, kid. Pairing the pieces will be almost impossible unless they have spells to help them find the right combination, like the pages of a book they need to go in a certain order."

"Where can we find the Warrior's sword?" Batman asked. Amiel gave him an amused look.

"Now, that one I don't know…but assuming that the mask was on the collection of a millionaire like Bruce Wayne, maybe the armor is in someone else's collection. Sounds logical, no Detective?"

"An armor…could it be in a statue?" Batman said remembering the incident at the museum. Fred shrugged. "Last night, Joker was searching for something at the Gotham Museum in the Roman exhibit. The only thing not in the floor was an Etruscan sculpture that had been lent to another museum. Could that be it?"

"Joker, hmm? Interesting that Eligos would work with him knowing his reputation. Anyways…I don't know, but if I could see a picture of the statue, I might tell you more."

Batman pulled his small portable computer unit from his utility belt and after a short search handed the unit for Fred to see. The large piece of worn stone was roughly carved in the life-size shape of a soldier in full armor resting his hand in a shield while holding a hand up in the air as if holding onto a spear that time had lost. The demon zoomed into the inscription that barely showed in the weathered stone, he then studied the armor's details.

"Lousy archeologists…this sculpture is not Etruscan. See that symbol in his shield?" Fred said pointing at the relief of what seemed an arrow enveloped in a large flame. "That's the symbol of the Order of Fire."

"Augor's Principality." Specter said

"Bingo. That's a big give away of what your psychotic clown was looking for. If you get a hold of it before he does, this might be the chance you're waiting for to stop Eligos and his minions. "

"Once we find it what do we do?"

"Are there any Lords of Order still around?" Fred inquired as Specter confirmed with a nod. "Then get it to them for safekeeping. They are the ones that started this mess in the first place."

"Fate?" Robin asked.

"Is that what that sorcerer goes by these days?" Fred responded disdainfully, "Remember Lucifer didn't kill ALL the sorcerers involved in this? Well, that lone surviving sorcerer became the first Lord of Order, and one of the many duties on his list has been to make sure that door would never open again."

"We have what we need and time is running out. Thank you, but we have to go." Specter and Robin headed towards the door when they noticed that Batman stayed behind. "Batman?"

"I'll be with you in a moment, but first I need to have a word with this…man." Batman responded. Specter turned to stay when he found the Detective's blue eyes glaring at him. "Alone."

"I can't…"

"Of course you can, Allen. This is a personal journey for the Detective too. It's just going to take a minute," Fred motioned the Specter out. Allen nodded and headed out, followed closely by Robin who couldn't help to look curiously back at Batman as he left Once alone, Fred set his empty cup and bowl in the sink. "Well, Bat-man, what is the question that bothers you so much?"

"You got into my head before, you should know."

"I read souls, not minds but let me guess…you want to know why a Hunter would have interest on your soul and your anger."

"I don't appreciate it when people or demons dig inside me without my consent."

"No, guess not…Mr. Wayne," Fred teased to which Batman responded with a growl. "Sorry, but reading you was not that hard after you touched me and your strong emotions betrayed you when I mentioned the mask in your collection…guilt is a lousy companion, isn't it?" Still Batman didn't seem amused. Fred went on. "Anyways, I could see why Rancor would be interested in you. You realize how angry you are right now?"

"Rancor…?

"That's the name of the Hunter you faced and he was instantly enthralled with you because of the darkness within. Holding emotions like the ones you hold would corrupt anybody else, but instead they seem to fuel the best in you. Contrary to logic, you use your darkness to make light, promote Order instead of Chaos, like Fate does. Anger like yours would be a feast for Rancor, because it's what he feeds on and it will be all too tempting not to try to use it to corrupt you. You walk a very thin line between good and evil and turning you to the darkness would be the cherry on top of the sundae of your anger. He probably wanted to lure you to the Darkside. Damn another soul to the deepest recesses of hell."

"He said I was not ready to understand my destiny, but I would later."

"Don't believe what Rancor or any other Hunters tell you. They are made from the darkest recesses of demonic hearts, and are liars by nature. Their purpose is to confuse and debilitate their target soul so they can corrupt its core. Rancor will do it using your weakness…anger. Stay away from him, his brothers and sisters."

"If these demons are not to be trusted, why should we trust you?"

'Not only a good detective, but also an excellent debater. Have you thought of going into politics?" Fred said with half a smile. "You met Martha. I know how hard it is for your pragmatic mind to understand it, but like Specter said, if Augor comes, he will destroy everything there is, including her just to punish me to leaving his army. I love her too much to allow that."

"You could still be lying to us."

The old man adjusted his glasses and reclined against the kitchen counter. "Yes, I could be lying, but I could also be telling the truth. The way I see it, it's a matter of faith, Detective. Do you have faith?"

"Faith requires to make a decision without all the facts. I find that…hard to do when lives depend on my decisions…"

"But faith is also about hope, Batman. A wish for something more…better. You've seen the dark monster that can lurk inside a man's soul, but do you have the faith to believe that somewhere in that darkness he could find the path that will take him out of the abyss or is he condemned to be a monster until the day he dies? Do you have faith that a demon can find redemption in the love of a woman or is he condemned to spend the rest of eternity in the lake of fire because of what he is? I never asked to be this, Detective, I want to be more…better…worthy of Martha's love and I will do anything to protect her."

Batman paused for a moment to ponder in those words. "But what if he was telling the truth…"

"And you're a key player in all this?" Fred shrugged and washed his hands on the kitchen sink. "I don't know, but if Rancor was not lying and you're a part of this scheme, I would suggest you're very careful choosing your next move. You have no way of knowing what is expected of you and unwillingly, you could be playing their song. I would take a vacation from this mess if I was you."

"It sounds as if you would recommend I leave the case."

"Believe in your heart and do what you're soul tells you. The same way you're more Batman than Bruce Wayne, your soul is more you than your brains. You don't do what you do because you think it is right…you do it because your FEEL it's right. Sometimes neurons can be deceiving because they only work with the tangible world. This is beyond tangible...and a good hunch could get you through when it comes from a deeper place, your soul or as you call it…your heart. Just have a keen ear to hear the truth. When facing demons the line between a lie and the truth gets very blurry." Fred grabbed a towel from over the sink and dried his hands. "You're friends are waiting for you."

"How do I stop a Hunter?"

"I see you already made your mind to fight," Fred paused waiting for an explanation, but Batman didn't respond back. "Not a wise decision, but extremely brave. I will help you get Rancor off your soul." After confirming he was alone, Fred placed his palms together. A spark of light formed between his fingers and when he separated his hands, an old book with a black worn leather cover appeared. He offered the book to the Detective. "This is a very old book, written by an old friend of mine. Before he died, he asked me to keep it safe. Here are the answers to your easy questions. The hard ones you'll have to figure out by yourself."

"The hard ones…what are you…?"

"Difficult trials await those who oppose evil, Detective and every trial is unique and individual, but never easy."

"Temptation…"

"Call it whatever you like. Those demons are only yours to face and sometimes it is the ones inside that are the harder to fight. Never underestimate what you cannot see or hear. Faith goes a long way… Now go."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gabriel stormed into the old dilapidated apartment where he found Punch and Lou playing cards over a makeshift table in the dirty living room. Punch rushed to grab his gun when Lou stopped him taking a closer look at the visitor.

"Daniel…is that you?" Lou asked with dread in his voice. "What happened to your hair?"

"Joined a rock band, where's Joker?" Gabriel demanded and the thug pointed to the back room. Gabriel nodded while his eyes glowed an intense blue hue. "I am not here and you two are hungry…go get something to eat."

Punch slapped Lou's shoulder. "Hey man, I'm starving. Let's get some food."

"Yeah, but the boss said—"

"The boss will not miss us. We'll get 'im something on the way back. Let's go."

As the two thugs left, Gabriel walked to the back of the apartment and opened the door of the bedroom seeing Joker writing on the wall with a Sharpie pen. He took a look around and noticed that the Jester had already covered two third of the room's walls with words and phrases in various languages

"Uh-oh. If you dismissed my two gorillas, this can't be good." The Clown responding as he kept writing on the wall. "Am I in trouble?"

"Yes. What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? It's one long poem." Joker responded calmly as he continued writing. "An epic."

"Poetry? You're acting like a lunatic. I knew the merge was a bad idea." Gabriel said studying the writings in detail. "You're starting to act like the crazy mortal you're wearing."

"No, it was brilliant." Joker responded as he climbed on the bed to finish his sentence. "Black is worried and angry, but too busy for a visit so he sends his monkey to fetch me. Worked like a charm if you ask me."

"You…were expecting me?"

"Of course I was expecting you, Gab." Joker said finally putting the Sharpie down to greet his visitor. "Getting you away from Skeletor has proven more difficult than getting a meeting with the Pope if you get my drift."

"You planned this, didn't you? What do you want?"

"The same thing you want…to be heard. Isn't it why you're doing this...to make a statement?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

"You know, millennia of servitude have dulled my potential, but not my cunning. I thought working with Eligos would be a change for the better, but now I realize…I'm still a slave. I just serve a different master."

"He promised you your freedom after you helped him release his brother."

"Sure, and demons are so good at keeping their word…HA! Now…THAT'S FUNNY! Tell me, what can you get from Augor's return…hmmm? Lemme see…The Golden boy sent into the darkness of mankind to find himself and the worth of the divine spark. You… punished like a brat." The white haired man glared at the Clown who just smiled perversely. "You're angry, Gab…I can feel it, almost taste it. Not the most positive emotion in an Angel, you know? But then, we're not all perfect, are we? Blame it on your Boss. You thought that upsetting the order of things would make your friends notice you more, so you can sit triumphantly on your own little thrown. Lucifer wouldn't listen to you, so you thought who better than Augor to start a ruckus because you need all that chaos to bring your radical idea of peace to a receptive audience, no? Order should rule it all… and order needs a king."

"Rancor, I' be very careful with what you're about to say…." Gabriel warned with a growl.

"Or you're gonna rat me out to big E…" Joker shook his head. "Nah. You don't need Blackie to know the plans you have for him and his brother, while you need me to bring you that tenth soul…or your plan will fail and you won't tolerate failure after working so hard, right?"

Gabriel frowned. "What do you know about-"

"…your plan? I'm a Hunter, Gab." The Jester responded with a smug shrug. "I know how anger works and yours is an ages old anger that has been brewing inside you for too long. You hate demons as much as you hate humans and you've been demoted to walk among those you hate most for what, Gabriel? Because you refused to be someone else's pawn. Sending you to serve upon your enemies would probably have been the most humiliating thing you have done since you were ordered to bow to mortals. You resent having been used and now discarded like holy trash because you dared to say no to your Master. Believe me, I feel your pain and I know you want retribution. You DESERVE retribution, heck, you might even deserve the King's crown…who knows? What I know is that you need me to get that."

Gabriel remained silent as he studied Joker. "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing." Joker responded simply with a smug shrug. "I want you to get what you want. Chaos is funny."

"How nice of you, Rancor, but you expect me to believe that when you were made to lie, confuse, corrupt…"

"And you…to serve a purpose you stopped believing in ages ago. We have more in common than you dare to admit. Isn't it time we slaves are set free of our chains?"

"You speak treason."

"No, I speak fairness and you look like a fair king. I want a guarantee that I will not be bound to any other demon's whim. I'm my own master." Joker shrugged. "I want real, absolute freedom to do as I please and I know you can grant me that. Because you know what it feels to be a slave."

"What about your brothers' freedom?"

"Let them make their own arrangements. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Like mortals say…You scratch my back I scratch yours."

Gabriel smiled. "The Clown has indeed tainted you, Rancor."

"Just opened my eyes, made me rethink my priorities. I am extremely happy now thanks, but tomorrow…tomorrow I want to be extremely free. So much evil in the world…so much chaos waiting to be savored. Anger so fierce that will feed me for all eternity… if only I was free to do it on my own."

"Then why to give Eligos a reason to distrust you? If he gets angry…"

"I feed on anger, my white-haired Lord, human or demon alike. Am I not allowed to have a little snack before the big day? It's not my fault if Eligos doesn't see the joke's on him."

"You're purposely getting on Eligos' nerves." Gabriel said with a chuckle. "You're one demonic bastard, Rancor."

Joker smiled sheepishly. "Just doing what I was created to do. So talking about freedom Gab, do we have a deal?" Gabriel didn't respond. "Good, let's talk about the details, shall we?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sunlight had already flooded Selina's apartment with the golden warm glow of daylight and as the morning had grown towards noon, the shadows have come and gone inside the kitchen. In one corner of the kitchen one shadow stretched and extended a thin black appendage to grab a cat toy nearby, then recoiled to its corner as if sunlight burned.

"I am so sorry, guys. I should've been stronger…braver. This happened because of me." The shadow slowly started to dissipate as the sun hit the figure to reveal a human form within. Selina sat on the floor resting against the cabinets under the sink with her legs pressed against her chest holding the toy in her hands as if life itself depended on it. Her voice quickly trailed to a whisper. "I have failed you all…I'm so sorry."

"You're so pathetic, Selina."

Selina tensed in her corner. The memory of Joker's invasion of her privacy came to her strong and a knot formed at the base of her stomach. She nervously looked around and she got a glimpse of a ghost from her past. A young woman with a round face framed with long reddish brown hair smiled at her from over the counter by the range where she sat.

"Maggie…you're…"

"Not dead if that's what you think. And if you'd believe that Maggie's ghost would like to come here to see you sulk in your own self-pity, you don't know your sister that well."

Catwoman asked wiping the tears from her face. "Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me Selina? I am you." Maggie's image transfigured to that of Selina's twin as she jumped down from the counter top. Aquamarine blue eyes looked back with angry determination. Catwoman backed off towards the living room as the other version of her came closer.

"This is a dream…I'm asleep and I—." Kyle said shaking her head in an effort to force herself awake.

"Yes, you are living a dream. You've cried yourself to sleep taking the blame for what happened when you know is not your fault. Stop dreaming yourself a victim, Selina, it makes you look pathetic."

"But I should have been there to protect them…" Selina said between sobs. "It's like with…Maggie."

"Yes, totally pathetic. If Joker wouldn't have known you were Catwoman this would not have happened. Now tell me, who gave Joker the tools to figure it out? He's the one to blame Selina, not you."

"Bruce…"

"That son of a bitch fell into the Clown's trap and opened up to him like a book. Look what it got you. Your precious little kitties turned into a coat. Then he played with you at his own leisure…abused you like a useless piece of meat. Poor Selina…one more victim of the Bat…" the other Selina said as she stopped within inches and extended a clawed hand to caress tenderly Catwoman's reddened cheeks, wiping away tears that had started to flow again from red and swollen eyes. "And you know Joker would not stop there. Holly….Maggie…who's going to be next on the Joker's perverted game of cat and mouse?"

"No…" Selina whimpered covering her mouth with her hand.

"Yes, and what did your lover do to prevent him from seeing you hurt Selina? He didn't even believe you when you cried for help." The other woman said transfiguring into Kyle's sister once more. "What did he do to prevent me from going insane and getting locked up in a cage like an animal? He was too late to save me, just as he was too late to save your loving cats. Don't you understand? He would never be there for you because he doesn't really care. His agenda does not include you, because to the Bat you, like everybody else including his sidekicks, are disposable."

"No, Bruce is…confused."

"Love can be blind to the truth and clouds your judgment Selina. Stop loving and start thinking. Think of all the things that have happened to you because of him."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Let me refresh your memory. First he couldn't save you from the Clown last night. And where was he when you fell into Hush's evil scheme? And I'm sure he was thinking of you when he let Joker peel away his secret identity and yours along with it, Selina. He probably told him to save his hide. Because deep inside he is a coward that doesn't dare face his own demons so he hides them behind a mask. Joker knows who you are. What will prevent the others from knowing as well or did you think the Joker would keep a secret like that? There is only one thing you can do to prevent this from going any further if it has not yet. The only thing HE can't do."

"Kill Joker…but-"

"But what? It's not the first time you've killed someone."

"Black was different."

"Really? Because Black was a bastard and Joker is only…a certified whackjob? Ask all his victims what they think about that and let me know_," _Maggie said sarcastically transfiguring into Selina again. "You enjoyed killing Black because you knew he deserved it. Don't you think Joker deserves a similar fate after what he did to you and your furry friends? If not for you, then do it for the hundreds he has hurt before you."

Selina tried to say soundless words as she wiped the tears. Fury made her cheeks glow bright red. "I don't know…I guess he could…"

"…use you again? Here comes the lovely Selina in her victim role again. How does it feel to be used over and over again, dear? What did Joker taste like, Selina…how did it feel? What your lovely Bruce let Joker do to you."

The memories of that night where not clear, but they were painful enough. They had all melt into a big blur of disgust, impotence, torment she wanted to forget. How far had Joker gone that night? Why didn't Bruce respond as soon as she called him? Why didn't he say anything when he saw the coat of cat fur left at the rooftop? A voice inside her head responded to her questions. _BECAUSE HE DOESN'T CARE…IT IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO HIM._

"I hate what he's making me go through…I hate him putting his psychos ahead of me. I hate what he's making me do and feel right now. I JUST…HATE HIM!" Selina turned around enraged, and reached for the china drying by the sink and threw the plates and mugs angrily against the wall. She searched for more. The frustration clouding her judgment; she decided it was worth to destroy half the kitchen to satiate her anger. It was the first step before her descent to darkness…a trip she couldn't avoid now.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"That was…spectacular." Joker said licking the tip of his fingers, as he smiled at the beautiful red headed woman that walked towards him at the top of Selina's building, swaying her hips provocatively. He knew that face from a distant past and suddenly he felt butterflies in his stomach. "You've even surpassed me in your perversity, Inhio. And now you try your enchantments on good ol' brother Rancor…you're really sick, sister."

The woman wrapped an arm around the Jester's neck and pulled herself close to him. Her ruby red lips almost touching his. The rosy aroma of her skin was intoxicating. "You owe me more than you think, my dear brother. You promised me a soul I could feed on, and the only thing I get is that angry…queen in heat. Lust is only in her heart when she thinks of her precious Bat. I can't do much with that now that she hates him."

"She's not the soul I promised you, and I needed you to do what in my present state I can't," Joker felt an urge to kiss those lips, but at the same time he was repulsed by that repugnant feeling inside him to do so. Love was an excuse made by men, to justify stupidity. "I'm stuck with the poet Clown. Consider it a personal favor and you will be rewarded accordingly. Keep taunting me with this image, Inhio…it just feeds the Clown's hatred."

"Why do you need a mortal…especially one that is so grotesquely disfigure. Couldn't you just…"

Joker put a purple finger over her mouth. "NO, inside him boils the hatred of a thousand hells, dear sister. Feeding on him is like being on crack…just indescribable."

"And you promised me a soul filled with as much lust as your Clown is filled with anger. Where's my payment?"

"You're a very impatient Hunter, sister. I told you-"

Lust pressed herself to the deep red lips of the clown and enveloped in her arms. The exchange was long and passionate before she let go to look at the Jester's eyes. The Joker smiled and two tears appeared at the corner of his eyes.

"You're usually colder than a glacier, brother," Inhio said wiping off a tear from the Jester's cheek, "Why do you cry then?"

"Not me…him," Rancor said sporting a wicked smile. "He's angry, resentful you're taking the shape of his dead wife to taunt him. His heart is on fire and his hatred for us…" Joker took a moment to inhale deeply as he licked his lips maliciously. "…never tasted better."

Inhio joined her brother in the smile as she shape-shifted into the form of the Batman. Joker's eyes widened in surprise, and he felt his heart jump in his chest. The urge to possess that form overwhelmed him. Where the Clown's feelings so obvious even while he was still wearing the Jester's body? She wrapped Joker with her black cape and kissed him again. This time she slid a hand along the torso and into the Jester's pants where he felt the throbbing manhood harden in her hands. Joker's hand clenched to the creases in the cape as he pulled the Batman image closer to him and explored the depths of the Detective's mouth with his tongue.

"Your warm, brother. Is this anger feeding your addiction, Rancor?"

"Yessss, give me more." The Hunter pleaded through a flood of tears. "I need to be loved for once…free of this-." Joker pulled the cowled figure towards him, mesmerized by the bright blue eyes staring back at him. "Bruce…help."

Inhio pushed Joker away from him and rapidly transfigured into Poison Ivy's spitting image. Rancor looked around confused and started to murmur things to himself in an ancient language. Inhio looked at him strangely.

"What's wrong with you Rancor?"

"I'm not sure, never felt like this. That stubborn Clown still fights me." The Jester extended a hand to Poison Ivy who slapped him hard enough to make him bleed from a busted lip. Joker growled and smiled while he cleaned the blood sipping from the corner of his mouth. "You are starting to hate me…aren't you sister?"

"I will not give you that pleasure just yet until you pay up your side of the bargain. "

The Clown laughed softly. "Little sister, Enchantress of the forbidden love, Queen of lascivious emotions, but with the patience of a gnat. I will pay you when your services have been completed…tonight." Joker adjusted his jacket and flipped his hands disdainfully. "Now go."

"I don't like to be used, Rancor," She growled as she transfigured into Jeannie again. Joker smiled malevolenty.

"And I love to use people…naughty Clown that I am," Joker said sarcastically. Inhio tried to slap him again when the Jester intercepted her hand. "Later, my loving sister. Now that the Cat wants me dead and hates her lover Bat, I can go out and play a little with this city..."

"Didn't Lord Gabriel tell you that Black awaits a report from you?"

"Yeah, but do I really have to? Chaos is calling me out there into the streets of this damn city, sister." Joker responded in a whiny childish tone. "I have no time to waste with that self centered Prince…"

"Of course you have to. We gave our word to bring Master Augor back to reclaim his throne so he can release us from our slavery. Our future depends on Eligo's success, Rancor." She caressed the green mane of hair sweetly. Joker smiled and kissed her again, more to mortify the Jester's soul inside him than show her his affection.

"I don't need you to tell me what to do, sister. Go pester another heart-broken soul. I'll call you later."

"Charming as always, Rancor, but if you screw this up, prepare to face our wrath…brother," Inhio said spitefully, slapping the Jester's face while dissipating from the rooftop in a cloud of blue smoke. Joker smiled and rubbed his burning cheek. He had to be careful next time, he thought. Inhio the Hunter of Lust could be a really dangerous bitch when she wanted.

"You're one hateful clown, Funny Man, but your Bat makes you stronger than I thought. I hate to be played with by a mere mortal so top and join me. Fill my dark heart with your hatred. Maybe I'll keep you along with the Bat and then you can hate each other for all eternity while I feed on your souls." Rancor said with a chuckle. "Now let the games begin."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You've been awfully quiet since we returned." Robin asked the Detective who was sitting at the computer station reading a book and doing some research on the net. "You OK? What did the demon tell you?

"Nothing of relevance. It seems I have to figure this out this by myself." Bruce replied dryly.

"The League and the Shadowpact can help us."

"No…I hate to be spied on, but I hate more to be lied to. I'll figure it out."

"Oh, so that's it. You're cranky because I let Specter use me to get into the demon's house."

Bruce turned around to face his young associate. "Why did the Pact need to lie to me?"

"Maybe because you're too stubborn to understand that this is way above your head. These are not just Arkham inmates we're dealing with, Bruce, these are demons. They're sneaky and perverse…"

"Like Fred…and Specter did not fool that demon."

"Well, that was unexpected, I agree. But nobody knew what that demon's loyalties were. Hey, we are not even sure he was telling us all we needed to know." Drake reclined against the rail. "We were just looking after your best interest. Really. Sorry if I had to keep that from you."

"Next time, try telling me the truth. I can handle it."

"Yes, like you handled Joker." Robin spat back angrily, followed by a very long tense silence. Bruce's eyes focused intensely on the young man. "You were avoiding talking about him and it seemed that for a while, you even tried to justify his actions."

"I've dealt with Joker more times than I could count. You don't have to lecture me about him."

"Then why did you let him…"

"I'm busy now." Bruce returned to his book. "Go get your things ready. We'll be leaving for New York in an hour to meet with Gordon at the Natural Museum of History."

"See…this is the reason I kept it from you. You're still not over whatever the Clown has done to you and it's starting to affect your judgment. Somehow he undermined your armor…got into your head and he's still there, causing havoc isn't he?"

"That's enough." Batman warned.

"Why? If you can't handle a single mortal psycho how do you plan on handling a whole horde of demons? Your objectivity is compromised. You're weak and a tasty snack for those Hunters, now more with Dick's-"

"I said…ENOUGH!" Batman growl as he suddenly stood from his chair. He had never been this angry before, but Tim's interrogatory was starting to feel like the Inquisition tribunal. He had been wrong about Joker. What…He wasn't allowed to make mistakes? "You don't think I care what happened to Dick? After what happened to Jason, I swore I would not let that happen to anybody else and I have failed miserably. Everybody I care for is getting hurt. How do you think I feel?"

"Maybe you need to pass the baton…this is too close for comfort. You can't deal with the forces of Hell."

"That's probably something Black would love to make me believe. He made a mistake by messing with my city…and me. Now get ready, we are heading to the museum in New York in less than an hour."

Tim tried to say something but he realized that any argument now was just a waste of time and energy he could need at the museum if he were to encounter any of Black's men trying to get to the sculpture. He just limited to turn around and leave the cave hurriedly. Bruce saw him…frustrated and also wanted to say something, but right now anything that could come from his mouth was going to cause more anger than just withholding any comments.


	36. Fall From Grace

**Author's note**: _Hello friends. No, I have not abandoned this story, but the last two months have been extremely hard for me personally. Writing unfortunately had become secondary priority as I dealt with some personal matters. It is one of those times, you know? But things are looking brighter. I have my muse back in gear and I have new things prepared for you in the upcoming chapters. In case you have not noticed, we are almost two thirds up in the complex plot of this story. I hope you're enjoyoing the ride so far. Thank you all for your patience and most of all, thank to those of you that have added this story to your faves. That means a lot to me, since this story is dedicated to you all Joker fans out there._

_These next two chapters promises some revelations, that will force the character to desperate measures as the wheels turn towards the resolution later on. I wish I could promise more often postings, but I'm not all out in the clear yet. I can promise though to try my best to not leave you for too long. It's not fair for anybody. Anyways, Enjoy this chapter that was crafted with all my love to you all. Hope you'll enjoy it as you have the rest of the story. Please...feel free to comment on the story. It is those little shared thought that keep us writers on our toes and I love to hear from you all. Now...on with the story. _

_DISCLAIMER#1: BATMAN and RELATED CHARACTERS belong to DC UNIVERSE, not me._

_DISCLAIMER#2: There are instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS and some SEXUAL INNUENDO. This story contains some RELIGIOUS elements that might offend some readers. I'm sorry, but I've tried to present an interesting mythology for the purpose of entertainment only. My purpose is NEVER to indoctrinate or teach and some GRAPHIC VIOLENCE might be depicted so please be warned. Read at your own risk. _

_BETA: This chapter has been wonderfully beta-ed by my friend DOLLHOUOSEDISASTER without whose help, this would be a much harder write. Thanks a million to her for making the time to help me on this._

**Chapter 36: FALL FROM GRACE**

Joker entered Black's office with a flouncy step, as he snacked on a bag of popcorn. Standing beside Mask was Gabriel, who greeted him with a perverse smile that seemed to mock him. _You slimy little bastard_…_I'm going to feed on your rotten soul for all eternity_, Rancor thought as he controlled the urge to spit fire on the mortal body of the fallen angel and looked at Mask who was busy going over some notes on his desk.  
"You requested my presence, Lord Skeletor?" Joker said popping a kernel in his mouth.

"Where have you been?" Black inquired without lifting his eyes from his bundle of paper.

Joker glared at Gabriel who almost imperceptibly shook his head. _What, like this wasn't your idea Gabby_? Rancor thought as he scoffed and inhaled deeply. He smelled betrayal. "Well, let me see…had some Reiki on Monday, on Tuesday did my nails, then joined a gym on Wednesday, and yesterday played a little cat and mouse."

Black looked at the Clown through narrow eyes and a knitted brow. "You're not funny."

"But proves that I've been really busy this week, right? Now really, what's up, Your Ugliness…?"

"SHUT UP, RANCOR!" Black growled forcing Joker to back off a few steps, the smile in his face fixed in a mocking gesture to his superior. "You're here because I have not heard from you in weeks. Why didn't you report?"

"I didn't deem it necessary. You're goals are being met, Lord Skeletor…" Joker ate more of his popcorn totally unconcerned by the glowing green eyes piercing through him. Neither popcorn nor anger ever tasted so good. "I'll deliver your Bat for dinner before you can even say…"

Black roared and the atmosphere in the office became hot and thick like a sauna. Gabriel backed off a few paces behind Mask. The Mafioso took a deep breath and the air around him ignited in a hot green flame that suddenly spiraled from his burning aura to envelope the Jester. Joker's body tensed, making him spill his popcorn as he fell on his hands and knees in obvious pain. Mask stood beside and stared down in clear indignation.

"What happened to you, Rancor? You used to call me…Master."

"I find Skeletor…much funnier," the Jester responded when Black knelt and pulled Joker by the hair.

"Really, Clown? Then let's see how funny it feels when I rip out that tongue of yours. In case you don't remember…I hated Joker before. Don't make me start hating you too." Joker just smiled malevolently, and Mask's eyes glowed with an even brighter green hue.

"Master Eligos, Joker has been very busy with the preparations of the ceremony." Gabriel finally interrupted. Both Mask and Joker turned to see the albino as he approached them carefully. "I can testify to that."

"How do you know what this piece of filth has been up to?"

"Because I've been keeping my eyes on this Clown for you since the merge and though in a very insane Joker way, he's been fulfilling your plan. You'd be happy to know you'll have your Bat by the next full Moon if not sooner."

"No more failures and no more delays." Black warned, eyeing Joker who seemed to mock him with a toothy smile. "Lose the smirk, Rancor."

"You know I can't. It's my PERMANENT sex appeal." The Jester said trying to hold some giggles. "And you should thank me 'cause I've actually done more than any of the other Hunters. Thanks to me you'll have a Bat and a Cat for dinner for the D-day buffet."

"Is this what it is all about, Rancor? You're jealous of your brothers?"

"No…just saying. I'm a doer…and my mission requires I have freedom to do the little evil things I have to do, just like the real Joker would. And he would never give you weekly reports…unless he could lace the paper report with some lethal poison…or make your phone explode while your _listen_ to the report." Joker giggled. "Oh, so many ideas are coming to me now…"

Black's eyes narrowed, the green flame burning bright deep within. "But you are not Joker…right?"

"Maybe not to you…but everybody else thinks I am. Wasn't that the joke?"

Mask made a pause as he studied the Jester's face for any sign of deception. "Joke…I see. Playing your mortal counterpart to the end, eh? I hate it when you take on the personality of your victims, Rancor, but I don't want any more delays and not knowing what you're up to makes me…nervous."

"Then I'll report for you, my Lord," Gabriel volunteered. Both Black and Joker looked at him in disbelief. "Assign me to his team and I'll monitor his progress."

"You? What made you change your mind about working with the Clown?"

"Look at him, Lord Eligos. Underneath that pale skin he's still your faithful Hunter." Black exchanged looks between the Jester and his henchman then nodded complacently. Joker just looked perplexedly at the white haired man defending him. "His methods might be Joker's, but his soul is still Rancor's."

"Alright. You have a new assignment now, Gabriel. Rancor will keep his mortal role and you will report to me." Black let go of the Jester's green mane. "And to dissipate your jealous trends that make you so….disgustingly human, Rancor, I relieve you from your duties in retrieving the Songs. I will send Crane instead and give him a little of the…field training you think he's lacking."

"Thank you Ugl-," Joker took his time to answer, while still on his knees. "…I mean… Master. May I return to my dark duties? I'm a little behind in my schedule...things to do, people to kill…souls to feed on."

"Yes, and I want daily reports from you, Gabriel. Not a single thing should be omitted." Black said looking disdainfully at the Clown still on the ground. The moment Joker tried to stand Eligos pulled him down by his bowtie and forced down onto the floor. "But first, I want you to clean this mess you made. Clean every kernel on the floor…with your mouth. Maybe that way you'll not forget who do you work for, Rancor."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Gordon waited patiently in the small office of the Museum Curator. In the last two hours he had the opportunity to enjoy a few pieces of ancient Egyptian pottery that lay scattered on a nearby table as well as sift through the pages of an original King James Bible. The office, no larger than the twenty by fifteen he had at MCU, had been reduced to half its size with relics from a myriad of places from around the globe, most of them just waiting to be entered into the museum's database. Dr. Tom Steinbeck, an old and feeble man in his early sixties, with thick glasses that hid his tired grey eyes entered carrying one large stack of old black and white photographs between his hands that Gordon promptly helped to set up in the office's desk. Steinbeck unrolled the sleeves of his wrinkled shirt and extended a friendly hand to the Commissioner.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting long, Commissioner Gordon." The curator said cleaning the stack of folders on his desk chair.  
"It's alright," Gordon lied. The truth was that if Steinbeck would have been in his jurisdiction, he would have had him brought to the office in chains an hour and a half ago. "Glad you could make some space for us tonight, doctor."

"It was tight, especially when we're opening three more exhibits this week. As you can see it's past nine in the evening and I'm still preparing the photographs for the Jewish Holocaust exhibit." From underneath the desk, Steinbeck pulled an icy cold bottle of Evian. "You want some? It's a little warm in here."

"No thanks," Gordon responded with a gentle nod. "What brings me here is an Etruscan statue that the Gotham History museum lent your institution three months ago.

"Oh," Steinbeck took a sip of his water bottle, "with all the work here, we've slacked on the paperwork for the loan extension. Hope we didn't break any law by keeping it here for a little bit longer…but it's one of our most popular exhibits."

"I'm not here to arrest anybody, but the police want the statue back in Gotham as soon as possible." Gordon stretched on the chair. "It has become evidence in a case and the police needs it to examine it for leads."

"Really? I would expect that it would be of more interesting to another archeologist since the statue is not really Etruscan and a lot older than previously described." Gordon's eyes opened in surprise. "Thought you already knew."

"No, and I'm sure that will help in the investigation."

The curator said leaning on his desk towards Gordon. "Was this statue in a crime scene?"

"I can't give you any details now. It's an ongoing investigation."

"I see. But regarding your request, I can't authorize the move tonight. Unless you brought a crane from your precinct, I have no way to get one until the working crew arrives in the morning. Sorry, it's just too heavy for a forklift."

Gordon looked at his watch. "You sure that you cannot pull some strings with the administration? This is a crucial piece of evidence and it would help if-."

"I understand Commissioner, but my hands are tied. And your statue is in the safest place, we have a security system comparable with that in the Pentagon and without equipment, it's not going anywhere. It's just…"

"…like at the Library of Congress with a similar security system and these criminals didn't only steal ancient documents, but also killed a few people before leaving the museum without a trace. So much for a security system."

"I…can assure you that your statue is safe." The Curator insisted while tapping a nervous pencil on the desk.

"I'll feel better if I can have a contingent of police officers from my department patrolling the building and staying guard by the statue."

"If it makes you feel better, I have no problems with that," Steinbeck said throwing his hands into the air as he grabbed one folder from behind him. "Just let me a list of names to give security tomorrow. And I'll meet your crew at six in the morning to transfer the statue back to your city."

"Will do." Gordon stood and offered a hand. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Steinbeck." The curator responded with a firm handshake.

"Not a problem." Steinbeck opened one of the files and searched over the collection of photographs inside. "Good night Commissioner."

Gordon nodded politely and headed out of the office taking the elevator to the exhibit level. As he waited, he pulled his Blackberry and texted in a message to a private number from his secured contact list. Within seconds, a response came through.

"MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH. THEY MIGHT STILL TRY SOMETHING TONIGHT."

"I KNOW," Gordon texted back, "BUT IT'S ALL I COULD BARGAIN FOR AT THIS HOUR. OFFICERS WILL KEEP GUARD OF THE STATUE ALL NIGHT LONG. IT'S A TWO TON PIECE OF ROCK. I THINK WE CAN KEEP IT SAFE UNTIL THE MORNING"

There was a long pause before the next text message. "OK. I'LL BE AROUND."

"I KNOW. YOU'RE NEVER GO TOO FAR."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker pulled a deck of cards from an inside pocket of his green jacket and started shuffling them between his hands. Gabriel sat beside him in the back of the Jester's sedan, checking what the Clown was doing. Twenty minutes have gone through with hardly any word exchanged between them and before that, it had been very limited to Gabriel asking questions and Joker responded in monosyllables that might or might not be related to the question, but were definitely meant to be insulting. Even Punch in the driver's seat could read the tension as he kept looking through his rear mirror.

"You know I had to intercede for you in there. Shouldn't that mean something?"

Joker grunted angrily. Orange vapor escaped his mouth. "You let him humiliate me so you could look like a good little puppy."

"Eligos was extremely angry with you and you were still pushing his buttons. Bad idea."

"His anger was my dessert, and you left this Clown with no cake." Joker picked an ace of hearts from the top of the deck and the card instantly busted in flames in his hand. "If you had them, I would make you eat your wings while I'd shoved that halo of yours up your-."

"All right, that's enough. Do whatever you want," Gabriel said slapping his hands on his thighs. "At least Eligos will not bother you with the daily reports for now."

"Whatever I want...now that's an idea." The Jester looked out the window and then at the thug on the front seat. The whole deck in his hands turned to ashes and sifted to the car floor. Only a blacked Joker card remained in his hand. "There's so much anger in this mortal that I could kill half the city and not regret it. Add mine and we could set this whole city on fire. Let's play a little game. Punch, new heading: 1007 Mountain Drive."

"But that's just outside the city limits, Boss…where the rich people live."

"I know exactly where that is, idiot. Limit yourself to make the right turns to get me there fast before I decide to set YOU on fire." Joker set the last card on fire by his henchman's ear. Punch responded with a silent nod and accelerated the sedan.

"What are you going to do? Wait, isn't that-"

Joker shushed Gabriel. "SHHHHH! Nothing better for the soul than to linger on guilt and regret, don't you think? We need an angry bat and I need some good oneliners..."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You really think they are going to come for the statue tonight?" Robin said switching to heat vision mode in his goggles to scan the darkened exhibit room. He only saw two guards sitting at each side of the Etruscan sculpture, the one on the right looked like trying to fight falling sleep. Nothing his partner on the other side could not fix, by keeping a conversation open. Everything else in the room seemed calm.

"Their time is running out, and if this is the Warrior's song, they have to get it soon. We cannot risk losing it now." Batman responded through the communicator in Robin's ear. "Anything?"

"Not yet. I just think this is the greatest waste of time ever. What if that demon was not telling us the truth?"

"Specter seemed convinced, especially after he saw the symbol of Augor's principality on the shield."

"Yeah, and if Eligos knows we know, you really think he's going to show up like that? Gordon officers are guarding the statue and an army of patrol cars is outside the Museum. Mask might be desperate, but he's not insane." Robin turned the goggles on heat vision and scanned the gallery for the fifth time "Where are you?"

"The Millstein Hall of Advance Mammals on the fourth floor. Hold on…"

"What is it?"

"A shadow off the corner of my eye. Switching to infrared scanner…nothing."

"This place is full of strange shadows at night. It could have been an illusion."

"Maybe, but that illusion seemed headed to the other exhibit in this floor. I'm going to investigate. Even if Mask does not make his move tonight, we'll make sure the statue makes it until the morning."

"Right. Be careful, and keep me posted." Robin responded when he saw one of the museum security officers enter the exhibit to meet the guards. In his hands he carried a thermos and two small paper cups. Tim analyzed the guard in every electromagnetic region of the spectrum. Nothing abnormal there, except that the core body temperature, seemed higher than normal. He kept looking as the security guard as he joked around the two police officers and offered them some warm coffee. Very kind of the guard to share his coffee while in the middle of his shift. Was the security officer even supposed to be in this floor? The sleepy officer was the first one to accept the offer. The guard offered him a paper cup and poured some coffee

"Thanks man. This helps a lot." Sleepy officer said downing the coffee in one gulp.

"No problem. I know that looking at all these old things, gets boring after a while. Just don't tell my supervisor, OK? You want some too?" the guard said to the other officer who accepted silently as his cup was filled to the rim.

"Thought you were running the upper floor," the cop said sipping from his coffee. The security officer shrugged.

"Hey, it's only five minutes out of my post. Who's going to notice, the mummy in the Ramses exhibit next door?" The guard said with a shrug. That voice. Where had Tim heard that voice before and why didn't the guard try some of the coffee himself? "It'll be our little secret."

"Robin, someone's in the museum. I just found…"

"A dead security officer?" Robin whispered into his com. The sudden pause confirmed what he already suspected. This was not just one generous security guard. "I think I'm looking at his replacement right now."

"Only one guard?"

"Yes, and I think he just-." Robin responded when the cops convulsed to the floor and the exhibit wooden doors shut close on their own. "Yep, he poisoned Gordon's guards. How fast can you get here?"

"On my way. Don't do anything without back up."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The phony security guard leaned over the dead guards and smiled complacently. With an assertive nod, he removed his hat and came into full view of the flood lamps illuminating the sculpture and started to examine it closely, paying attention to the inscriptions decorating the base. Tim immediately recognized the lanky officer's profile.

"Scarecrow? This makes no sense." Tim whispered to his microphone. Crane knelt beside the large statue and ran a hand to dust off some of the inscriptions. Once he felt the stone, Jonathan pressed a shoulder against the smooth surface and started to push. "What the hell is he doing? He can't move that statue all by him-"

It took Crane only two tries to tumble the statue over its side effortlessly. The ancient stone shook the entire museum floor and cracked once it hit the floor, while still holding together in one large piece. Jonathan moved over to look under what had been the base.

"What was that noise?" Batman panted into him microphone.

"I can't believe it. He just tumbled the statue, like nothing. All the two tons of stone are now on the floor. He's now reading some inscriptions at the bottom of the base. Can he really read those symbols?"

"I can't get a hold of Gordon or his unit. Just wait for me. I'm almost there."

Crane stopped what he was doing and looked up at the mezzanine where Tim was hiding in the darkness, his lips stretching into a mischievous smile. Extending his arms to his side, the psychiatrist mumbled something unintelligible and all the floodlights and emergency lights went off leaving the gallery in total darkness.

"Damn, I think he knows I'm here. He has just—." The communicator in the Detective's cowl went dead.

"ROBIN!" Batman screamed to his microphone as he arrived at the gallery doors. He tried to open them, but it was obvious they have been locked from the inside, so he tried a skeleton mask from his belt with no success. No time to pick the lock. Bruce pulled a small ball of plastic explosive from his belt and packed the keyhole with it while introducing a short piece of metal into through the clay. He stepped a few feet from the door, behind a bench set at the ample hall for the tired visitors and waited a few seconds. The lock exploded leaving a fist sized-hole in its place. He jumped over the bench and kicked the door open.

The Gallery was in total darkness. Batman switched to night vision and examined the whole room. The large Etruscan statue was lying on its side along the main axis of the room with the top facing the entrance, but as far as he could see, there was no sign of Crane. The good professor was probably out of here trying to leave the building. He should search for the professor before he escaped, but his first priority was to find Robin and make sure he was fine. Batman opened a channel to Gordon and his team, only getting static. It seemed that whatever Crane did, also affected his communications.

"I knew you could not be too far." A voice reverberated from above. Sitting on the rail of the mezzanine, Crane rocked himself amusingly looking down at the Detective. _Odd…why was Crane still here?_ Batman thought knowing how much Jonathan would avoid a close encounter with him. And while he was not wearing any special gear, Crane seemed to be able to see him through the thick darkness in the room. "You were not invited and still you want to crash this party. You know how annoying that is not to mention…rude?"

"It's over Crane." Batman warned. "You're under arrest."

"Sure," Jonathan said with a soft chuckle. "But speak to my promoter first. Mr. Drake, if you please…"

_Drake? What the hell is he talking about? _Batman thought as a dark blur jumped down from the mezzanine to land just a few feet from him. The identity of the attacker took Batman by surprise as he saw his partner kneeling on the floor, holding his fighting shaft firmly in hand and staring at him with eyes that seemed to glow even through the night vision gear Robin was wearing.

"Leave," Tim growled acquiring the familiar fighting stance ready to attack when he saw fit, "or I'll make you regret it."

"Robin whatever Scarecrow has done to you…you're stronger than that. Fight it."

"Nothing has been done to me. I just see you now for what you truly are, a manipulative son of a bitch."

"OUCH! That has to hurt," Crane mocked from the rail when he was surprised by a small throwing star that flew close to his head to get embedded on a nearby wall. As he looked down, he noted the angry glare Robin gave him from below. With a shrug, he jumped effortlessly to ground level and walked over the tipped sculpture. "OK, that would be my cue to get back to work. Take care of him for me, kid."

"Robin, do you even know who I am?" Batman inquired.

"Yes, you're the bastard who enjoys seeing us all in pain. Did you enjoy it when Nightwing was almost killed by the Clown? I bet you loved it when Joker killed Jason too. How much more do we have to hurt before you care for us instead of him?"

"I've always cared for you all. I don't want to see anybody else hurt. YOU KNOW THIS. THINK!"

"I'm thinking and you should've thought too before selling us to the Clown. You care more for that psycho than you ever cared for any of us. Didn't you think we'd notice you're holding back with him?"

"What?"

"Oh, don't act all innocent now. I have put it all together now and it hurts here." The Boy wonder held his chest plate hard and his face contorted in an expression of excruciating pain. "I know you're protecting Joker at the cost of innocent people…at the cost of your friends and family. WHY? How could you do that to us?" Robin spat acidly as he doubled over and reached again for his chest with a groan. This was definitely not Tim Drake speaking and Bruce wondered if one of the Hunters had taken possession of his partner. Could he undo what Crane had obviously done to him? He was resolute on asking the one responsible of this situation personally.

Batman sprinted to the base of the sculpture to face Crane when he was tackled by Robin. In the floor both men exchanged punches and kicks when the Boy wonder tried to stab Batman with the sharp end of his staff. The Detective reflected the shaft with a gauntlet and with a quick twist connected an elbow to his young partner's lower jaw sending him backwards to the floor. Batman took the shaft and collapsed it to only a foot long to dispose of it when a rain of throwing stars hit him. He looked around but he had lost the Boy Wonder's location. By his feet he heard a few metallic clinks and before he could react the ground under him exploded sending him hard against a wall.

"This is it, Batman." Robin said, "You've hurt your last innocent kid." That was the confirmation Bruce needed that Tim was not playing. He was aiming to the jugular and murder was his goal.

The Detective reached for the communicator on his cowl, but there was nothing more than static through the speakers so Alfred was out of reach. This time he would have to fight alone, and worst of all, he might need to permanently cripple his attacker. How could he bring himself to hurt his own family without looking like a villain?

As Bruce tried to stand, still dizzy from the explosion, Robin had re-initiated his attack with a kick hard to the Batman's chest plate. Bruce fell back on the floor again. Robin jumped on him, throwing punches to vital parts of his body where he knew he could cause the most damage, but the Detective deflected them fast. Using a small window of opportunity, he held to his partner's elbow and pressed hard. The sudden pain paralyzed the young man for a second and Batman got a grip on the boy's cape and flung it over his adversary's head. He rushed a fist to Robin's head and then kicked him hard enough to send him to the floor. He reached for his belt for some gas pellets he slammed against the floor creating a thick cloud of black smoke. Batman switched to heat vision and reached for the taser in his utility belt firing a charge at Robin as the boy was trying to stand. Tim's body stiffened and went down to the floor convulsing as the weapon discharged. The Boy wonder didn't move and the Detective reached to feel a faint pulse on the boy's neck. Weak but steady. It was time to concentrate on the real target in the room.

Bruce scanned the room realizing that Crane probably used the diversion of the fight to make his escape. From atop the mezzanine he saw a shadow move fast. Not even the professor could move that fast. Crane or not…he decided to follow and fired his grapple towards the mezzanine. Whatever it was, it was moving incredible fast, but he could still hear footsteps outside of the gallery. He followed them and halfway through the main hall, he made visual contact with the psychiatrist. Making a sharp turn to keep up, he tossed a set of bolos that wrapped around the Crane's legs. Parchments fell from the Professor's hands as he fell on his face. Crane crawled to retrieve the documents when Batman stood full weight on his hand.

"OUCH, THAT HURTS!" Crane screamed with a flood of curses as the bones in his hand crunched under the vigilante's weight. The Dark Knight grabbed the psychiatrist by the collar of his uniform and slammed him against one of the columns on the hall. He followed that with a punch to the stomach that let the professor gasping for air. He threw the psychiatrist head first against the stucco wall ahead. Crane slid down to the floor moaning as Batman yanked him again by his shirt and forced him hard against the column to face him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!" Batman yelled just inches from Crane's bleeding face. The psychiatrist looked back at him amusedly through a bleeding nose and bloodshot eyes that seemed to glow in the dim lighting of the hall. "TELL ME!"

"Pain is not so good when you are the one feeling it…is it?" Crane said throwing a blind punch that missed the Detective's face by an inch. Bruce growled, turned his enemy around and twisted an arm behind him then slammed the psychiatrist's head against the column. If Scarecrow was asking for pain, he was going to get it even if it meant ripping his arm off.

"I'm not asking again, Jonathan."

Crane growled and threw a wild elbow that Batman quickly dodged. Using the momentum, the Detective turned Crane around and prepared to punch him when the psychiatrist blew yellow smoke onto the vigilante's face, and Batman felt a painful knot at the base of his stomach. Suddenly Bruce was ten years old again and the gory image of his dead parents lying in the damp alley invaded his brain, reliving the pain of seeing their blood stain the pavement and having lost all he loved in just a second. He heard a gunshot and images of the bloodied naked body of Barbara Gordon lying on the floor of her father's apartment filled the walls of the dark alley. He had not being there, but he remembered the pain in her eyes after Joker… It had been his fault. These were not just memories, but painful baggage he had been carrying with him and now weighed heavy on his heart. The pain of the loss and the suffering of his loved ones made it hard for him to breath.

"Is having your friends turned against you as painful as losing them all over again, Detective? Pain is such a liberating feeling…or a terrible burden. In your case I'd say the latter, Batman."

"WHAT…DID YOU DO…TO ME?" Batman responded overwhelmed by the pain and the sorrow in his heart. He's knees faltered and he fell hard on the tiled floor panting hard.

"Just playing a little pain game of my own. What about you…ready to beg for relief of the pain of your mistakes or maybe I can make it the only feeling you'll ever have and see how you deal with it? And I always thought your pain made you stronger. Maybe we overestimated your worth."

_We?_ Hearing Crane speaking in third person made even less sense, but then…maybe it was the last clue to this absurd puzzle." You've always obsessed over fear, Jonathan. Why the sudden focus in pain?"

"Because everybody is afraid of pain, Bats. Why would you fight your failures away if it wasn't to escape the pain they cause you? See…even you are just human after all," Crane chuckled. Batman glared at him.

"Maybe it's time we bring forth your greatest pain…just to see what it tastes like. Jason Todd's death was your greatest-"

"_Unë ju urdhëroj të më thoni emrin tuaj talentuar!" _(I command you to tell me your demonic name!)

At that moment, Crane's body tensed. His eyes open wide and glowed in a yellow fire as he tried to avoid the Detective's glare. Fear was clearly visible in Jonathan's face. Batman stood and walked over the petrified psychiatrist. Clenching to Jonathan's clothing he repeated his request. Jonathan fixed his eyes on the blue orbs of the Knight, his body shaking in fear, unable to utter any word.

"A-Argor," the psychiatrist finally said as his body went limp and unresponsive under the Detective's grip.

"You're…the Hunter of Pain," Batman said remembering what he had read from Fred's book. Hunters fed on human souls and took over their bodies like a puppet master had control over their puppets and Scarecrow had become their latest victim. Batman's pain turned quickly into pity. "I'm sorry Crane. Not even you deserved this."

Crane blinked and looked around as if disoriented by his surroundings and tried to disengage the hold Batman had on him.

"Where am I…how did I get here?"

"I'm not falling for your lies, Argor". Batman responded connecting a fist hard on Crane's face that sent him across the floor.

"Lies…what lies and what's wrong with you? Don't you know who I am…Crane? Scarecrow?" The psychiatrist said cleaning the blood from a busted lip as he scooted back putting distance between him and the Batman as fast as he could. "Have you gone insane? Get off me…get off-"

"I know what you really are, monster," Batman grabbed Crane by the jacket and threw him to a wall across the hall. Crane protested as the Detective shoved him against a wall and lifted a fist ready to knock the living daylights of the professor. As he was ready to strike, a loud screeching sound from the speakers in his cowl left them disoriented and dizzy. Jonathan tried pushing the vigilante off, but Batman just slammed him against the wall again, using his body to contain the squirming psychiatrist.

"ONE. TWO. THREE, TESTING. How do you work this piece of crap, Jarvis?" The unmistakable falsetto reverberated through the Detective's communications unit. "HELLO…IS ANYBODY HOME?"

"Shut up, Joker I can hear you." Batman barked at the microphone as he secured a protesting Crane against the wall and lowered the volume of his speakers.

"No...not Joker. Not the Clown. He- " The psychiatrist sputtered before Batman silenced him with his gauntlet.

"Wheewh! I thought I had really screwed up your bat-phone. Your butler over here was not too nice when I asked him for the instruction booklet so I had to improvise. Sorry for any technical difficulties," Joker made a pause as Crane kept fighting the Batman's grip. "Is that Scarecrow wailing like a fangirl at a Justin Bieber concert? Pathetic."

_Was Joker really in the Batcave or was this one of his bluffs? Stupid…_Joker knew Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same person, but the nerve of returning to the Mansion after what he had done at the gala a few nights ago even surprised the vigilante. Crane tried to speak through his gag without making much sense.

"HELLOOO! Joker yelled angrily. "YOU STILL-."

"…here. What you want?"

The Clown giggled. "Originally I wanted a friendly chat between friends, but Alfie here told me you were not home. Decided to take a self guided tour to the lower levels and guess what I found behind the grandfather clock."

"You'd better not have hurt the butler."

"Oh yes Alfie…the missing father figure, eh Brucie? Don't worry, he's still breathing, for now." Joker chuckled. "I'm kind of honored to see that you have my oversized Joker card on the cave's spotlight. Wait, what did you do to my eyes? You made holes on my card in one of your tantrums, didn't you? You and your anger, dear boy…kudos!"

"THE PAIN….WHY ME…IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" Crane screamed while thrashing under the Knight's weight making it difficult to control. Batman warned the psychiatrist to hush without much success as the psychiatrist's body started to convulse. "PLEASE…STOP HURTING ME…GO AWAY."

"If you want to talk…we can meet somewhere else. You don't have any business in there."

"But you have so many wonderful toys in here and look…is that Boy Blunder's memorial? Cute. Have you found a place for Dumbwing's yet? If I can make a suggestion on the subject…"

"Joker…that's enough…" Batman growled

"PLEASE…MAKE IT STOP HURTING…" Crane spurted when Batman put a hand over his mouth again.

"What are you doing to good ol' Crane, Batsy? He sounds in a lot of pain," Joker protested. "If you value your butler's life, unhand my straw-brained brother. Pretty please?"

"What guarantee do I have you-" Batman was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot and breaking glass. A knot formed on his throat thinking that he might just have caused Alfred harm.

"I don't need to guarantee anything and I think you're gonna need a new display for your bird's tights. You just do what I tell you or my next bullet will blow Alfie's head." A tense silence built between the Clown and the Knight.

"You know what he is, don't you?" Batman inquired while staring at the dark brown eyes of the psychiatrist in front of him. In the bottomless darkness of those eyes, the Detective noticed the same yellow glow he had seen before in Tim's eyes. "A Hunter…"

"Oh my…is that a joke, Bats?" Joker busted in a loud laugh. "Crane is just an idiot who likes to cross dress and play with himself all the time. Perverted and creepy, especially when he dresses like Cher."

"I heard that." The Psychiatrist growled as he brushed away the Detective's hand from his mouth. Joker giggled through the communication link. "Release me, Detective, or I'll show you pain like you've never felt before."

"You heard the boy, Batsy. Let him finish his work or I will decorate this cave with your butler's brains."

Batman pondered for a moment and realized he had no options. With Joker in the Batcave there was too much at risk, even if he could trust the Clown with keeping his side about not hurting Alfred. He just couldn't trust him, but he could not risk it either. With an angry grunt, he let go of the psychiatrist creating some space between them. Crane backed off carefully then walked over to where the scrolls had rolled away to rest by the wall and after dusting them he hid them within the folds of his uniform. He approached the vigilante gingerly. A perverse smile beamed in his face.

"Who's the man now, Batman…you have been reduced to nothing." Crane said mockingly.

"Don't push your luck, Argor…"

"Pathetic excuse for a hero…" Crane spat on the floor and rushed down hall to promptly disappear from view. Batman started to walk back to the gallery to check on Robin. At the gallery's door, the Boy Wonder rested painfully against the frame. The Knight extended a hand carefully towards his partner, who barely noticed him. As the boy's strength faltered, Batman helped him carefully to the floor.

"OUCH! That has to hurt…" Joker said over the speaker

"That's what Argor does, Joker…cause pain. But what is it that you do?"

"Excuse me?"

"You called Crane brother…."

"We both share the same floor accommodations: Psycho ward seven at Arkham." Joker chuckled. "I guess that makes us family."

"You lie…you're one of them now." Batman pulled a small portable comm device from his utility belt and checked for a full signal. He tried texting Gordon with the news about Crane in the hopes he would have better luck in stopping him.

"If by that you mean that I must be on Black's payroll, you'll be glad to know that I'm doing this for free."

"_Unë ju urdhëroj të më thoni emrin tuaj talentuar_!" Batman said and a tense silence filled the airways. An answer from the Commissioner reached his portable computer. There was no sign of Crane anywhere in the perimeter. The police were getting ready to raid the museum.

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you asking me out, Bats… in Romanian?" The Clown busted into a hysterical laughter. "You're such a flirt."

"GIVE ME YOUR NAME NOW!" Batman roared as he walked back towards the gallery. Once he arrived, he noticed Robin leaning precariously against the door frame holding tight to the side of his ribcage as he breathed precariously. The looks the boy's eyes were a combination of confusion and exhaustion as sign that he was obviously still in pain after the taser attack.

"Whatever you want to call me…as long as you whisper it softly into my ear. I love taunting you, and you love to see how far I can push you before you cross your moral line. It is a wonderful relationship we have, the perfect marriage. The comedian and his straight man…"

"What are you getting out of this?"

"You…and some added bonuses. You know…I like this little hole you like home. Can we be roomies?"

"And what about all that you told me about trying to change. Control the monster inside you?"

"An addict will always be an addict, and a monster will always be a monster. Why not enjoy it while it lasts?"

"So that's it? You will just turn back and let the darkness eat whatever humanity you have left?"

"You need to listen to Tom Brokaw more often. He's the one who has said I have no humanity left. I'm just the monster who feeds in human misery while laughing at it. It's not that hard to understand. This is me…love me or hate me…"

"Doing this," Batman said as he helped his partner to sit on the floor and rest, "the only thing you inspire is hate."

"Then hate me," Joker said with a deep sigh. "…with everything you got. Now I would recommend you come home soon. This city feels empty without you and with no one else to play with I'm getting bored. What about you Alfie? Up for a game of tag the butler?"

"Leave him alone…" Bruce growled as Joker fired again and screamed TAG through the phone. Bruce's stomach turned into a knot as he heard the hysterical laughter over the speakers. He should had foreseen this…prevent it in some way…

"Come and make me…'sweetheart'." After the last word, the comm. link went dead. Batman set a hand over Robin's shoulder.

"You OK?" Tim nodded and wetted his lips.

"What happened? All I remember was every painful moment of my life…and you were in each one. You became…my pain and wanted to kill you for that. Now the pain is gone except for this damn headache." Tim held his head between his hands. Bruce remained silent. "What I said in there…I'm sorry…I didn't mean it."

"I know. You were over the influence of a Hunter." Batman sighed. "I have to hurry back to Gotham."

Robin gave Bruce a quizzical look. "Why…what happened?"

"Alfred-." Batman saw the confused look in Drake's face and his heart sank. How was he going to explain that the Clown was now at the mansion without feeding the pain in the boy's heart with the knowledge the he might have put the butler and them at risk. How could he face the boy with the truth that all this was happening because he trusted Joker? "I'll explain later. Now stay with Gordon and tell him what happened. Tell him Crane is possessed by a Hunter and possibly all the other rogues too and that we're going to need the help of the League and the Pact on this."


	37. A Deal Made in Hell

_**Author's note:** Hello, friends. Sorry for being so slow in posting, but since my father had been diagnosed with a serious illness, the constant visits to doctors and hospitals has left me with little time to write. Still I made the time, for all of you that have been faithfully following this story since, because you've asked for more. I also want to take a moment to thank all of you that given this story a place in your favs and your alerts. That means a lot to me and motivates me to keep on going even when the road gets tough. This little chapter is like the classic snowball on top of the mountain. What it will start will lead to what I hope is going to be of your liking. Just have HOPE...It's all that is left and all we need. Well, now to go on to the story that I hope you will like. Feel free to leave me some feedback as to what are your thoughts on it. It will definitely cheer me up to hear from you. _

_DISCLAIMER #1: Batman and all related characters belong solely to DC COMICS_

_DISCLAIMER #2: There are instances of MATURE LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS as well as reference to some sensitive religious matters. Read at your own discretion. This is written purely for entertainment and no money is made from it._

_BETA: This chapter was lucky enough to have two Betas. Thanks a million to my two angels, DOLLHOUSEDISASTER and ICE NEKKO. Both did an awesome work and this chapter would not be here if it was not for their help. To both, my greatest gratitude and a big hug._

**Chapter 37: A DEAL MADE IN HELL...**

Bruce would not have made much of it then, but he was now glad he used the Batwing to fly to New York. A two hour trip took only minutes and right now, even seconds counted. The Batwing descended gently and aligned itself to the landing clamps where the automatic pilot took over to secure the landing gear to the platform. Batman jumped out of the plane to be hit by the disaster area in front of him. The Bat-computer was smashed to bits, screen crashed beyond repair and cables had been pulled out from the main console and tied into fancy bows by color. The forensic unit below was totally useless, the table knocked over and the microscope eyepieces had been ripped from the machine to make the eyes and nose of a bright yellow happy face painted on the on the far end wall. All the cars in the garage, covered in painted guffaws and holes too numerous to count, had been used for target practice with the security system lasers of the cave.

Joker had a blast in the Batcave.

But in all this chaos, there was no sign of Joker or Alfred. Batman walked down to what was left of the biomedical station and saw the blood dried out on the leather chair. More blood in small splats and splashes were over the whole equipment.

"Alfred…no…" He said, trying to remain calm. From behind him, Bruce heard the rustle of fabric and without a second thought, pulled a batarang from his belt, spun and threw it with all its might across the cave vault to embed it into a distant wall. In front of that wall, the pale figure of the Specter materialized scanning the disaster of the cave.

"Edgy are we not?" Allen said solemnly testing a blood stain with his gloved finger. "This…is what I feared."

"I don't have time for this, Specter. Joker has Alfred."

"Because he wants you to go after him." Batman snorted, turned around and starting walking towards the garage looking for any vehicle that might have been spared and usable for local transport. Specter rematerialized in front of him. "Didn't you hear me? He wants you to follow him."

"And if it means saving Alfred, I will follow that Clown to the ends of the Earth if I have to. Now get out of my way, Allen." Batman tried to push the ghostly figure away, but Specter offered the resistance of a mountain.

"He's playing you."

Bruce poked an angry finger into the Specter's chest and leaned over. "FOR WHAT? You're the Specter, you know it all and your power is limitless. Can't you even tell me what I will be facing?"

"A trap."

"That's very original…Allen. It's Joker. Tricks and traps are his trademark."

"More than just Joker…" Specter sighed and showed the bloodstain on his glove. "This is not human blood, Bruce Wayne. It is the blood of an angel, a creature of light."

"Stop talking to me in riddles and give me the facts." Batman demanded. "An angel?"

"So far we have thought we were dealing with evil creatures, trying to liberate their demon lord. This…this is unexpected." Specter inhaled deeply before going on. "Why would light want darkness to rule?"

"Don't know, do you?" Among the useless vehicles, Batman found the Bat-pod was still operational and had minimal damage done to the black alloy body. The top of the gas tank had spray painted on it the phrase _"Carnival Nights."_

"No, but the fact that Rancor has not killed your butler yet-"

"So…Joker is Rancor?"

Specter motioned to the destroyed Batcomputer station and the damaged vehicles at the garage. "I can still feel his anger littering the air of the cave, his frustration and his fury mingled with Joker's maddening joy of reducing your order to chaos. They are one and the same."

"But I tried an incantation to force the demon to reveal himself and it didn't make Joker flinch."

"No, you tried magic you didn't understand. Incantations like the one you used on Crane only work in presence of the demonic entity, not over the phone or a comm. link. I thought you would've figured that from the forbidden book Fred gave you." Batman ignored Specter like a child who had been caught misbehaving. But what other choice he had? Bruce needed to understand the nature of his enemy. "You should've rejected Fred's offer, Batman. Dark magic is not a matter for mortals to play with."

"It doesn't matter now- I need to save Alfred from both monsters."

"This is a mistake, Bruce." Batman turned around furiously to face the Specter. "A terrible mistake. Let us-"

"What is a mistake is letting Alfred die for something you don't even seem to understand. I have to face Eligos at some time. Better be now than later…after my friends and family are dead."

"You're not prepared to face neither Eligos nor Rancor. Can't you feel you're too…angry?"

"And can you face them?" Batman challenged. The long silence gave him the response he was searching. "Thought so, now if you don't mind, I have things to do." Batman mounted the pod.

"Do you even know where to go?"

Batman pointed at the body of one of the batmobiles parked in the garage. It clearly read _See you in Rio. _"Have a pretty good idea."

"Let me go with you. You don't have to face him alone." Specter offered. Batman did not answer as he fired up the bike and started rolling into the exit tunnel. With a loud roar, the Bat-pod rushed down the tunnel quickly disappearing from view. Specter shook his head and took a deep sigh. "You're just going make this harder on us all, Bruce."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Selina might not be a detective, but she knew how to follow a good lead, even if it meant beating it out of a thug in a dark, lonely alley. Unfortunately none of the Clown's thugs she had interviewed offered any good help. Joker seemed to be improvising as he went on.

She tracked down her last resort. Harley Quinn. The disturbed psychiatrist had been the Joker's inseparable companion for years and if anyone knew his whereabouts, it would be her. But even Quinn seemed to have gone missing in action until Selina found out from a faithful resource she was staying with Poison Ivy. Now that would be an easy prey to track. Just find the thick forest of exotic plants in the middle of this dead city. She localized the hideout by dawn in an abandoned storage building located at the outskirts of Gotham Botanical Gardens.

It was an old brick building that had seen better times in the past as vines had started to eat through the old masonry in an unnatural intertwined pattern. Definitely Ivy's way of remodeling. Rusty iron rails twisted to resemble vines and leaves adorned the balconies overlooking the park. Most of them looked dark and abandoned, except the one on the third floor of the southern facade. It looked like a small jungle, with pots flowering in beautiful reds, yellows and oranges, and vines that had started to spread to the balconies around it like a spider's web. From the rail, rows of _Pothos_ hung a few feet down in luscious shades of green and yellow. _Bingo._

Selina slowly lowered herself down by jumping from balcony to balcony and walking along ledges with the grace of a ballerina until finally landing in the balcony. The small jungle seemed to stare attentively at her as she peeked into the apartment. More plants adorned tables and shelves throughout the living room, and vines had started to crawl up the plain cream walls of the living room. Ignoring the intermittent rustle of leaves from plants that she swore where reaching out to her, Catwoman picked the lock on the glass door and entered into the apartment. She tiptoed towards a small light that flickered from the kitchen. As she prepared to look into it, a low growl from behind grabbed her attention. She slowly turned and saw two glowing yellow eyes and a set of bare sharp teeth staring back at her.

_Shit_, Selina thought as she started to back off slowly towards the window not losing sight of the bare fangs that gleamed in a perverse version of a smile. By the window, another creature growled in what sounded more like a wicked laughter. As Catwoman turned, she saw the black enormous silhouette of what seemed like a dog hunched over with bright white teeth bared. Through the window, the moon shone over the creature's brownish gray fur that was standing in end. She immediately recognized Harley's hyenas.

"What's happening there guys?" Harley called from the kitchen as the two shadows closed around their feline prey. Another round of laughter made Selina's skin crawl. These beasts sounded a lot like…Joker. The lights of the living room went on and from the hall Harley Quinn, still dressed in her red and black clown garment, stared at her unexpected guest now cornered against the wall by two large spotted hyenas.

Selina sheathed her claws and pulled her whip from her belt and let it lose ready to fight her way out any way she could. Harley rushed to the middle of the room to stand between her pets and Catwoman. "No, no, no….they don't want to hurt you, they just want to play. Really."

"They don't look too playful to me," Selina snarled. Harley motioned angrily at the hyenas.

"Chuckles, Happy…pull back. This is a friend." As if they had understood every single word, both animals backed off a few paces and sat down on their hunches. Harley walked over to Selina and offered her a hand. Catwoman ignored her as she recovered her whip and put it back on her belt. "Sorry, we don't get visitors often, but…what are you doing here?"

"Where is Joker?" Selina asked dryly.

"Hm…and you want to find him because…?" Harley asked looking her over suspiciously.

"I have unfinished business with him. Where is he?" Selina said sternly.

"Hey, missy…I don't like your tone." Harley crossed her arms angrily over her bosom. Both hyenas growled and laughed again and Quinn raised a warning finger high above her head. "Boys…stay out of this."

The two hyenas lay down quietly on the floor. Selina kept her eyes on the two predators staring at her. "Look Harley, I just need you to tell me where I can find him. My business is with him…not you."

"And you have a nasty way of asking, y'know? What do you want with him?" Harley asked as she walked back to pet Happy playfully on the top of his head. "Beat the crap out of him by any chance?"

"Need to—" Selina thought her words with care. If Harley even hinted what she had planned for the clown this was going to be the end of the conversation and the end of her road. "Need to have a little talk with him. He's been…misbehaving."

"What he did to Miss Vale, right? Kitty, he always misbehaves," Quinn said as she pondered on the words and kiss Happy on the forehead. The hyena giggled in delight. "You're working with the Bat, aren't you?"

"Something like that. Where is he now?"

Harley sighed and turned to Selina. "I guess he deserves it, doesn't he? I know what he did at the museum too. It was all over the news, pretty gross."

"Yes, he needs to pay for that." Selina sighed impatiently. "Now tell me, where—?"

"I have no clue," Harley responded bluntly with a shrug. Selina let out an angry hiss. "But don't sweat it, I know someone who might know."

"I'm listening." Selina stared intensely at Harley.

"I spoke with Ivy the other day and she said something about Black wanting to go after Joker. You know that Black sent her an invitation to join his gang, right?"

"Her and other rogues. Yes, I've heard."

"Well, she said she was going to call me back to update me and she never did. I went to check the address she told me and I found Nigma and a bunch of really creepy people there, but no Ivy. Then I followed Eddie and, to my surprise, Pam was there…making out with Pengy and if she had to go that low, there must be something really screwed up. YUCK!" Harley shivered in disgust. "I wanted to find out more but the place is loaded with an army of Black's men. I was planning on going back once I had a plan…but it seems I got myself a sidekick too…"

"I'm no one's sidekick Quinn. Just tell me the address and I'll leave." Quinn closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No, that's not how this works. You need me to tell you where to find him and I need you to get in. I guess we both need something from each other." Harley shrugged, innocently smiling childishly at Catwoman.

"So you're suggesting a partnership? Harley…I'm not that desperate."

Quinn hissed. "There you go again, showing off your claws. It's not like I'm asking you to adopt me. I just need to find Joker and Ivy and make sure they are OK…and you can come on handy. Then you can do what you need to do."

_Yeah, blow your Clown boyfriend's brains out while you're not looking. I see how this is gonna work, _Selina thought as she looked around nervously. There had to be a way out of this with just the info, but Harley really had grown up since she left the Clown's side. This Harlequin knew how to propose a good bargain. Selina had to concede.

"Ok, but do not get any ideas. This is just while we find Joker."

"And Ivy," Harley responded gleefully. "We have to find them both."

"Sure, whatever." Selina responded smugly setting her hands squarely over her hips. "So you said you had a plan?"

"Plan? Well, kind of, but now that you're here…I need to modify a few things. Is the Bat coming? We could use the cavalry, you know?"

"Batman is busy with other aspect of the investigation. I think we can handle this on our own."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Using shortcuts where the Bat-pod could tightly squeeze through, the trip to the carnival ground didn't take long. The whole place looked deserted, which he found unusual. This smelled like a trap and the memory of Specter's warnings echoed in his head. Maybe he had misread the clues, but the reference of Rio made him think of the yearly carnival, and Joker loved carnivals. It was too easy. He shook away his doubts and examined the old carnival lot closely.

Most of the attractions needed desperately repair and a new paint job. The Gotham Grounds where the Carnival stood had been abandoned now for over ten years, ever since Joker used it to torture Jim Gordon to the point of insanity just to prove that anyone could be like him…totally out of his mind. The Clown failed in his plan and as the city was getting ready to demolish it, an unknown buyer offered a very large sum of money that no one dared ignore with the promise of developing the land. That never happened and Bruce always suspected it was because the buyer had been the clown himself, keeping the carnival as a memento of one of his greatest fights with the Batman.

He approached the entrance and noted a large man dressed in a bright red Clown outfit and carelessly applied grease paint on his face, waiting for him by the ticket booth. In the man's hand, a golden ticket gleamed in the moonlight. Batman lunged and grabbed the Clown by the fluffy collar of his costume and pushed him against the booth.

"Where is he?"

"S-sargo the great…last tent by the Ferris wheel." The man stuttered and Batman recognized Punch behind the make-up.

"He has a hostage with him…an older man…"

"D-don't know of no hostage. Really…'ave to believe me." Punch responded covering his face to what he knew was going to be a painful beating from the angry Bat. "He…he just told me to hand you the ticket…'s all!"

Batman peeled the ticket from the thug's hand and stared into the scared man's eyes. "You better be telling me the truth or I'll be back for you."

The man lowered his arms and the look on the Batman's eyes was enough to send him running off for his life. Punch was nothing more than an emissary, a gopher for a bigger fish and by himself didn't oppose any threat. He will be easy to find him later, especially after the tracker he had set on the thug. Right now, it was time to meet with the ringleader Clown.

The park looked like a cemetery; a memorial to death and decay, Joker's favorite themes. Most of the attractions have been reduced to skeletons of rotted black wood and rusted metal, and the few tents that still dared to stand, with their fading tarps, were being slowly eaten away by the vegetation. Wood rotted away from the booths along the path to the Ferris wheel that still stood, rusted and half dismantled, at the center of the carnival grounds.

Like punch had said, the large tent of Sargo the Great stood right beside the rusted wheel, and along with a few more attractions, it had been spared the fate of the rest of the carnival. In front Sargo's attraction stood the old House of Mirrors: the tent where Joker had kept Gordon during his ordeal after he shot Barbara and probably the reason why these attractions had been kept up. For Joker this was hallowed land to his chaos and misery. Batman entered Sargo's tent and the whole attraction busted into a festival of light and laughter as bulbs of red and white glowed in a chasing pattern deeper into the tent. The laughter, which at the beginning sounded like Joker in one of his hysterical states, Bruce soon realized was just an old recording.

"Come on, come on…let Sargo the Great tell you what the future awaits," said a loud voice from deep within the attraction, followed by another bust of laughter.

Batman followed the long draped hall down into a large arena inside. In the middle of the sandy semicircle, Joker sat on top of a large bulky wood crate covered in a black velvety fabric. The Jester tried to contain his giggles as he sat with his eyes closed and legs crossed in a Lotus meditating position. The Dark Knight switched his mask goggles to infrared and looked around as if expecting one of Joker's little surprises to jump up at him from the rows of empty bleachers. _Alone...so unlike you, Clown, _Bruce thought as he stopped halfway down the rows of bleachers.

"Where is Alfred?"

Joker opened one eye and looked at the gloomed figure standing at the entrance of the arena. "It's always all business with you, isn't it? Why can't you make this game a little more…entertaining?"

"I'm not asking again, Joker."

The Clown Prince cocked his head paternally. "Say please…"

"Joker…" Batman growled. The Jester sighed exasperatedly.

"You're impossible. Alfred's alive and well for now, but that could quickly change if you keep questioning me. You're starting to sound like Gordon." Joker said following a long sigh, as he finally opened both eyes to stare at the dark caped figure glaring angrily back at him. A wide smile parted the Clown's pasty white face. "By the way, did you bring me an invitation to Dumbwing's funeral? That would really make my day, because he'd always been my favorite bird."

Batman growled. Joker knew exactly how to push his buttons. It was hard to hold the urge to lunge the Clown and snap that thin neck like a twig. "You're playing with the wrong man, Joker. Or should I call you…Rancor."

Joker relaxed smugly over the crate, his legs outstretched as he leaned back and supported himself with the palms of his hand. "You're a man hard to fool, Batsy Boy, but I don't think you figured this yourself, so what hero ratted me out? Tell me so I can rip the heart out of his chest…please?"

"It's not hard to figure out. Joker would kill people just for fun, but you…you are making sure I'm angry all the time. You need that, don't you? My anger is your addiction."

"It makes me want you even more, true. But your clown…well, I just took an old and outdated dark soul and made some improvements. Don't deny you like the new Joker, Bats." the Jester responded mimicking some boxing moves with his fists. "This one you can really contend with…mano a mano."

"I don't think you brought me here to just have a friendly chat. What are you up to, where's your master Eligos?"

"Is that what you think I brought you here for…to talk to Eligos?" Joker laughed softly jumping off the crate to face his nemesis. "You're mistaken. I just want to talk to you a little, you know…be buddies."

"And you expect me to believe you? Rancor, you're a liar by nature."

"Don't believe everything you read in the papers 'bout me, Batsy. Just imagine for a brief moment that I'm here to do some good and help both of us." The Jester stopped short of a few paces from the Dark Knight; his bright green eyes burning with a deep orange flame that seemed alight with hell itself. "You look surprised, Bats."

"Help…for what?"

"Mingling in the dark souls of your friends and enemies has showed me how valuable it is to have free will." Joker said pacing placidly around the Caped Crusader, like an osprey circling its lunch. Neither Joker nor Rancor could be trusted and Batman watched his enemy carefully expecting a sudden attack. "Free will, Batsy. The ability to choose to spread chaos and death and all those wonderful things we demons love so much whenever I want to whomever I want. You understand where I'm going with this, right, Bat Boy?"

"No, and whatever it is…I'm not interested."

"Even if it meant defeating Eligos?" Joker scrutinized the Knight's face for a sign of emotion at his offer. What he faced was with a statuesque veneer he could not decipher except for the blue orbs glowing with anger behind the cowl. The Clown smiled. "I'm sure you have realized by now, sweetheart, that fighting demonic hordes is a task no mortal can accomplish on his own. Not without some supernatural help, at least."

"And you're willing to betray your master Eligos for free will. Just like that."

"What would you give to get rid of all that hate you have inside you and be one of them out there?" Joker chuckled as he stopped within inches of his enemy with eyes that glistened in the dim lights of the tent. "Oh I know you very well, Batsy. I know you feel alone and alienated even within a crowd because you hate not being able to have a normal happy life like the rest of the boring souls in this city. You long to be like them, don't you? Yes you do, because you regret everything the cape and cowl has taken away from you…you have no life but that costume."

"You don't know me."

"Sure…then why didn't you want to escape while Joker had you in that basement?"

"I didn't escape because there were children's lives at stake."

"Liar…keep this going and you'll become an even tastier morsel for this old Hunter." Joker ran a hand through his green mane and one small tear ran down the corner of his left eye that he quickly wiped with the tip of his fingers. "You didn't leave because you found a twin soul in the Clown. You realized you and your worst enemy had more in common than you thought and for once you didn't feel alone. If I remember well, you even offered to help the Clown with his psychoses…cure him, you said?"

"He wanted to be free of his madness, of his pain. I offered the help."

"Even when you knew he was lying to you, like always," The Clown Demon said with a toothy smile as the Knight's anger escalated. "Oh no…you believed every single word he said? Sorry, but it is that he sounded soooo sincere, didn't he? The pain…the tears….it must have been the tears."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Where are you heading with all this?"

"You, as deluded as you were by your enemy, made a decision to trust him out of your own free will. Even when your guts were telling you he was just toying with you." Joker's eyes shed more tears as his grin turned into a grimace. "I cannot make that choice. I am bound to do what my masters order me to do and I cannot refuse. I don't want to have a master anymore."

"And in exchange for your freedom, you will give me Eligos."

"No," Joker said solemnly. "I will give you the lives of those Eligos ordered me to destroy."

"I don't understand how that is going to give me Eligos—"

Joker sighed. "You're dumber than you look, Bats. If Eligos has no weapons to use against you, he cannot control you. Your strength is his weakness. And even a mortal like you can take care of a weak decaying prince."

"You said you cannot refuse Eligos' orders."

"Eligos is not my master." Joker fidgeted where he stood. "We made a deal I know he's not willing to honor and now I need to change the rules of the game for my own preservation."

"And how can I set you free, Rancor?"

"I don't care how you dispatch Eligos and his brother, but Lucifer needs to share the fate…and die. I'm sure that's not a shocker for you. Kill three demonic princes for the lives of those you love most."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "And if I refuse?"

"I will feed on the soul of your butler, your girlfriends, your Robins, and everybody you hold dear for all eternity. You know what I can do…and eternity is a very loooong time."

Negotiation was not one of Rancor's strongholds. The offer sounded tempting, but the threat gave Bruce the gut feeling that this was a one sided deal. This time he will trust his instincts and it was time to even up the stakes.

"Maybe I should tell your master what you want to do. He would not be too happy."

Joker laughed happily. "Yes fool, you do that and he will have your soul fed to his pet dog in Hades. You still don't see the role you play in this game do you, Batman?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Eligos needs you to free his brother because your dark heart is the key to the door, Bats. Lucifer is a practical man and once he discovers the role you play in this game, he'll make sure neither Eligos nor anybody else could use you to release his brother." Joker raised a bony finger decided to caress the chiseled chin of the Knight when a gauntlet hand stopped him, crushing the bones of his wrist. Anger flowed from the tight grasp, forcing Joker to lick his lips in anticipation as he withstood the pain. "He will kill you and that would be…such a waste."

"What do you mean my heart is the key to the door, Rancor?" Batman let go of the demon's hand. "And don't you ever try to touch me again or I will rip your arm off, are we clear?"

Joker cocked his head and smiled. Two tears ran down his cheeks. "As water…but you don't know what you're missing. You and I could go places, Bats. You and I belong together and you know it."

"I'm not interested. Just tell me what you mean or you'll force me to-."

"To what? Don't tell me the Bat has grown mystical balls and is threatening a hungry Hunter." Joker snarled raising a warning finger in front of him. "Don't push your luck mortal, I've not even started with you."

"I'm not afraid of you, Rancor." Batman warned. "You're just one more of Eligos's faithful minions and a very low grade demon. In your realm you're the lowest of the low."

"Is that so?" The Jester forced a giggle. "I'd watch my language if I were you, Batsy Boy. You definitely don't want to anger a Hunter…not if you value your mortal soul. So let's hold the insults, please."

Batman snarled. "_Unë ju urdhër-."_

"Oh no. Don't even think about it Bats. I will bow to no mortal in this realm." Joker warned dangerously with orange vapor spilling through his teeth with every breath, but that didn't stop Batman who continued the incantation. "I will destroy you before I let you command me…"

"_…urdhëroj të më thoni…"_ Bruce went on unimpressed.

"Stubborn Bat! You're very proud of your cheap magic, aren't you? You need to be taught a lesson in humility." Joker growled lifting his hands high above his head. From the damp floor, two dark clouds of thick mist rose and wrapped around the Knight's neck tight enough to prevent from speaking. The grip also cut off the supply of oxygen and Batman started to fight for the privilege of inhaling the much needed oxygen his tissues craved. "I warned you, now try your little spell again…from the top. Excuse me…I can't hear you!" Joker busted in giggles.

Another two dark figures rose and quickly enveloped the wooden crate were the Joker had been seating waiting for his nemesis. Batman fell to his knees, defeated by his efforts to gulp even a little bit of air. The lights in the tent seemed to dim as reality and fantasy combined in his oxygen depleted brain. In front of him, past, present and unfulfilled future mingled in what seemed like a broadcast of the evening news. All his accomplishments and failures played in front of him like a homemade movie and in the middle of the arena, the wooden crate started to float, lifted by the dark mist like a phantasmagoric nightmare.

"You asked me about Alfie before." The Jester pointed at the floating crate. "And I have to admit…I had been sitting on the subject all this time. I thought that after Birdboy, you would do anything to stop me from killing your family, even making a deal with me. I was so wrong. Now let me show you how your arrogance will destroy those you love most. You should have accepted my offer, Bats."

Batman tried to plea with the demon, but he was slowly losing his battle with consciousness. He was willing to offer himself to this monster to save Alfred's life even if it meant condemning himself for all eternity. His life had no meaning if he could not save those he loved most. He was nothing. Bruce tried to speak, but only a senseless gurgling sound left his throat.

"Tell me Bats, how long you think Alfie will have left before he hits the sea floor and drowns? Enough time for you to save him?" The Jester busted in a frenzied triumphant laughter. "Are you willing to bet your soul on it?"

In frustration, Batman slammed his fists on the floor, attracting the attention of the Jester for a moment. In midair, the crate swung side to side as if balanced on an invisible sling. Bruce knew the demon was not playing. He will kill an innocent man to break his spirit, see him in pain, boil his anger and feed on the moment. Joker looked down at the pathetic display of bravado from his enemy and smiled, but quickly his joy was supplanted by a deep sense of pain and something Batman had not seen since his captivity in Joker's basement…guilt. The Jester's lips spoke his name in silence.

"No…stop." Joker said lowering his arms. The crate stopped swinging in midair as Joker lowered himself to meet the fading blue eyes. "STOP! No…not like this. I'm not letting you end it like this."

Falling on his knees, Joker held his head as he started to speak to himself. "How dare you oppose me you pathetic piece of meat? I command you. I own you. Go back to the darkness of your soul. You have no power to… ARRGGHHHH!"

The Jester's body tensed and the thick mist creatures dissipated quickly into nothing. The crate fell hard on the floor and some of the boards cracked revealing the terrified face of Alfred as he fought a mouth gag and tight ropes to free himself from within the crate. Joker raked at his chest, ripping his vest and shirt and clawing at his pale skin until he made himself bleed.

"I am my own master. Something you know nothing about. Oops, that's right… raw nerve, eh sweetheart?" The Clown Prince fell on his hands and knees and laughed heartedly. "Really? And what is this dark hatred that lurks deep inside you, the one that laughs at the misery of your fellow man. He's your master, Clown so don't talk to me about free will. You are a slave of your own evils. You and I belong together. My anger is your madness. Your hate is my feast."

The grip around Batman's neck loosened and the Knight was finally able to take a deep gulp of air to fill his lungs. The long dark tunnel that threatened to crush him, suddenly opened to reveal the inner arena of Sargo's tent. On the floor, Joker crawled on his hands and knees speaking too fast and too low to make any words of what sounded like an argument, but with whom? Then Joker busted out in a crazy giggle.

As he tried to figure out this strange and unexpected scenario, Bruce set eyes in the crate lying in the middle of the arena. From within cracks in the wooden box, a pair of terrified grey eyes peered through. Ignoring the Clown on the floor, he rushed towards the crate when an invisible force grabbed him around the neck and threw him halfway across the arena to hit one of the support columns and dropped him painfully to the floor.

"Not so fast, Batman. Party is not over," Joker growled from the floor between gritted teeth. Sweat covered his face as blood started to drip from his nose, eyes, and mouth. The Jester approached the fallen Knight dangerously. "You still have to get some cake."

Bruce tried to get up when Joker grabbed him by the base of the head and lifted him inches from the ground pushing him hard against the main central column that supported the tent. No matter how hard Batman fought the crushing grip, it was hopeless. The Joker had the strength of a hydraulic claw and he was about to use it to crush his skull. Batman tried a kick to the Jester's midsection, but the Joker didn't bulge. Instead, his smile widened.

"My Big Angry Bat. Time to say goodbye to Alfie," Joker said with a perverse smile as the crate started to swing up again. The Jester groaned in pain and stared into the Vigilante's blue orbs in a silent plea. Bloody red tears ran down his cheeks. "No more, you hear me? NO MORE! Bruce…sorry. He…I am so-." Joker screamed again. "Trust me. Laff…Bruce…you need to….Laffco… Laff…go to Laff…..ARRGHHH!"

For Joker, words came hard and painfully and he started to laugh. He let go of the Knight and stepped back bending over in obvious excruciating pain and gasping for air amidst guffaws. Batman supported his back on the column, watching the Clown's strange behavior. Was this one of Rancor's games and if so, what was the purpose? The Jester looked up at the Vigilante, tears mingled with the blood dripping from his eyes and the spit from his mouth.

"This is going nowhere. Quit now…" Joker warned dangerously. "He's mine…mine, mine, mine. Like you."

"You have no idea how much this hurts, do you Bats? Feeding on my anger…making me hurt you. Just make it stop." Joker said turning his attention to the man in the cape that looked at him in a dazed state of confusion. The Jester tried to stand only to wobble unsteadily and land again on his knees. "Can't live like this. Just do…what I've always wanted you to do. Break your cardinal rule and just…KILL…ME!"

"Is this a new trick? Take a life so you can have a hold and corrupt me, Rancor? You want to engulf me in your darkness, but I will not fall in your trap." Batman told Joker that shook his head angrily. "I don't kill."

"You're wasting your time. He's weakened by his own mortal nature. So are you so STOP…FIGHTING …ME." Joker said followed by a loud guffaw. With his hands, the Jester tore at the raw skin on his chest and screamed. "Don't be a fool, Bats. He's playing us all. There's not much time. Just kill me. It's…only way. Please. Set me…free, at Laffff-," The Joker said in a raspy, guttural voice. "Go to…Lafff-."

With a groan that sounded more animal than human, Joker fell hard on the floor, curling up into a shivering ball as he murmured something in an ancient language Bruce could not understand. Batman looked at where the crate had fallen again to the floor, this time upside down. He could only hope that Alfred was still alive. Ignoring his enemy he again tried to reach for the crate when violently, the whole bulky crate raised high into the air pulled by two black figures with dark leathery wings. Spinning in mid air, the two figures hit a wall and carried their cargo away into the sea harbor.

"No…" Batman whispered as he prepared to run after the crate when he was faced with the angry Joker, huffing and puffing clouds of orange vapor while glaring at him. The green glow of his eyes was gone, now only the orange fire burned deep in the dark pupils.

"Going somewhere sweetheart?" Joker said with a sardonic smile when the floor started to exudates a dark and thick mist that quickly wrapped around the Vigilante's feet preventing him from moving. "Call the agency. You'll need a new butler."

The thick smoke slowly engulfed him. No matter how hard he tried to fight the cold grip of the mist, he was getting eaten alive by this malignant force. If he was such an important piece of the game, what was Rancor doing to him? The demon's anger knew no limits. The combination of the demonic hatred and the Clown's Madness had taken this Hunter beyond the realm of reason. The mist had now secured his arms tightly to the sides of his armor totally immobilizing him as it started to creep up his torso and wrap itself tightly around his neck.

"You…you need me to free you…" Bruce sputtered as the mist started to enter through his mouth and nostrils cutting his airways. Joker walked over to him and stared at the terrified blue eyes that were fighting for the life-giving gift of air.

"And?"

"You said it…I'm the key. If you kill me...you lose."

"You are the ideal key, true, but you're not the only angry hero walking between darkness and light, Bats," Joker giggled maliciously, trying to fix his torn suit. "I thought you would understand, but no…you're too stubborn. Now I have to play with someone else and I have the perfect runner-up in mind."

"Let…Alfred live Joker…please."

"Are you begging, Bats? I am moved to see you grovel at my feet, but you see…I'm enjoying destroying your orderly world so I'm calling the deal off. This is much more fun." The Clown started to leave the Knight to be eaten alive by the darkness. "Oh Bats…you and I would've definitely gone places if you just surrendered to me. Now I will be left with the crumbs of your soul to feed on. I should not have put high hopes on your soul. You failed Dick, now you failed good ol' Alfie. Who are you going to fail next…ah…the city. Your city is lost. And it's all your fault."

"Your ..." Batman fought the words against the thick goo filling his mouth. "…freedom."

"You think I will play all my cards only on you, Bats? How very arrogant of your kind." The Jester busted in a hysterical laughter that quickly stared to fade away. "No Bats. A Hunter always has a plan B, and mine doesn't require you, though I have to admit that I would have had more fun working with you. Now see your world burn in the fire your darkness started. Failures like you deserve to burn in hell for all eternity. Just think of all those you have let down…those you could not save and those you will never be able to save after you die. Horrible burden, isn't it Bat Boy? If I was you, I would kill myself, really. After all, you lost the game. Now I leave the stage and let you die on your own failures. Ta ta, sweetheart…"

With those last words, Batman's world turned black as the night as his senses became numb. He couldn't feel his body anymore, and with his lungs filled with the thick mist there was not much time left before he would fall into unconsciousness due to the lack of oxygen. He knew death would come to him one day, but he never would have imagined that that day he would feel so insignificant, helpless and defeated. He had lost a friend, and almost lost half a dozen more. Now he would lose his last battle and any hope of saving those he loved. Now everything that was left for him…was his darkness. And once every sight, sound and feeling had left him, the heaviness of her loneliness hit him. He was completely on his own and for once, he felt scared not for himself, but for all of those that would die for his failure.


	38. And the Truth Shall Set You Free

_**Autor's Note: ** It's being a while since I've posted, but like promised, I'm going to continue this story till the end. Hope you guys are enjoying it. Thank you all to the fans that have faved and alerted the story. It really makes me feel accomplished in my goal to entertain you all. That is all I want. To tell a fun story for all of you to enjoy. Expect some surprises in the future, but in the meantime don't forget to let me know how are you liking this story so far. Hearing from you all is the cherry on top of my sundae, especially these days when my life road has been getting rough. This chapter is a turning point, as Bruce discovers that Joker is not part of Eligos' plot but a victim. Will that change the way he feels about the clown? It's time for Bruce to explore a little more deep inside his own soul, and make up his mind. We all know where this is heading...don't we?_

_Anyways, hope you enjoy this little piece and just for the fans, I also decided to finish the Birthday party story line started with Spark of Genius and My Muse has a Twisted Sense of Humor. Check out the last chapter of this triptic: Happy Birthday to Me!_

_Like always, thanks to my Beta for her extraordinary work. Like always I owe her dedication to this project. Thanks babe!_

_DISCLAIMER 1: Batman and related characters belong only to DC COMICS. They are used here not for profit but for entertainment_

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be situations of ADULT MATURE nature, SEXUAL INNUENDO and GRAPHIC VIOLENCE. Please be adviced as you read_

**Chapter 38: "...AND THE TRUTH SHOULD SET YOU FREE..."**

"Is he still breathing?" A silky voice said from what seemed like miles away.

"Not sure…this is worse than I thought." Someone else said from even farther away, when Bruce realized that he was not alone in the darkness. Where was he? Who were these voices that dared to interrupt his eternal sleep? He needed to let go…his soul, burdened by the guilt of not being able to protect those he cared for the most and letting down his city when it needed it most, begged to be laid to rest. He deserved to die for his sins.

"Batman." The silky voice said as he felt something warm against his face. "He's still breathing. We need an ambulance, Blue."

"On its way, but if he's breathing why isn't he waking up?" A third voice asked from behind him. "That thing that was trying to swallow him didn't seem to have hurt him, right? Maybe he has some internal damage."

"His body is fine. He doesn't want to wake up, he wants to die." An old, tired voice explained. Bruce knew the voice, but his mind was too foggy to pin a name to it. The only thing he knew was that the voice was right, he just wanted to die_. Please leave me alone…let me go._

"That's nonsense, Batman would never…"

"You don't understand these matters as well as I do, Zatanna. Once a Hunter touches your soul a part of you dies, and you want to die with it. It is the pain that never goes away, the anger that never stops boiling deep inside, and the fear that will haunt your days and nights. A hunter will make you think death is the only way out."

"Can you do something to help him…please?"

There was a quick exchange of whispers, too low and too fast for him to make up any word when silence suddenly surrounded him along with a frigid feeling in his extremities. Was this what feels like to die? He felt the coldness embracing him like a passionate lover, the numbness seeping through the pores and reaching deep into his bones. The end was near. He could feel it, almost savor it. It was time to just drift away into nothingness and be free of the burdens of the soul, or so Bruce thought until he heard his name whispered against his ear.

"Bruce, open your eyes, boy. It's time to go home."

"I'm all right here. I don't want to be anywhere else." Batman responded brusquely, without even trying to open his eyes. He tried to face away from the voice.

"No, that's not true. And no matter what lies Rancor told you, no one will abandon you. You can't stay here because if you do, you will die."

"Maybe that's the way it has to be. I let him hurt my friends; I could not even save my parents that night so many years ago. No one will forgive me for failing them. This fight is futile. I'm a failure, I'm useless…I deserve to die."

"Stop acting like a child, Bruce. Getting hurt is part of life, but you've always have gotten up and gone on. Why would this be different?"

"You don't understand. They trusted me and I failed. There's something I could have done…to prevent this…to save them. I can't go on letting others die for Rancor's amusement. I failed."

"You'd only fail when you lose all hope. What about your mission, Bruce? Yours is the darkness that sparks the light of hope for this city and without hope, this city is as good as dead. Open your eyes and look at the light you shine, son."

"Hope is dead and the darkness is so…calming. I'm tired. This is where I need to be." Bruce felt tears pooling at the corner of his eyes. "Leave me alone in the darkness."

"No. You'll never be alone, there are people who care about you too much to let you die, and people who depend on you to live. There are people begging for you to fight back, and they will give their lives to get you out of here because they believe in you. Are you going to let them down too? Help yourself so you can help them against Eligos."

"I can't help anybody now, just let me…go." Bruce said when he was slapped hard on the face.

"Is this what you grew up to be, Bruce? A quitter? Don't disappoint me, son. You can overcome Rancor's poison if you just listen to your heart. You're a lot more than Rancor and his lies. Let your darkness be the beacon of the only thing Eligos and his minions can't fight. HOPE. Have faith in you and your mission, Bruce…it's your only weapon."

"Faith…faith in what? He took everything. My friends, my family-," Bruce said softly, finally opening his eyes to see a young Thomas Wayne smiling at him. He couldn't resist the warmth of that face and smiled back. "Dad? But…you're dead. Have you come to take me?"

"No, not for you, but because of you. Bruce, Rancor has not taken everything. I came to save you from yourself and the lies Rancor told you. You belong with your friends; they need you and you need them. You're this city's only hope. Come with me…let me show you how far hope can take you. No matter what he made you believe, not all is lost." Thomas smiled and extended a hand. "Trust me."

As Bruce took his father's hand, the darkness around them started to dissolve slowly allowing Bruce to recognize he was not alone. Beside him, Zatanna knelt holding his hand tightly between hers and a smile dawned in her face. Not too far behind her, Blue Demon stood supported by his trident. His face showed fresh scratches and bruises. Where Bruce had seen his father moments ago now stood Fred who looked tired and unusually old. Wayne looked around recognizing the arena in Sargos' tent.

"You got into my head and you…lied to me." Bruce accused of Fred.

"I did everything I could to save you from Rancor," Fred responded with a shrug.

"What's going on?" Zatanna asked exchanging looks between Bruce and the old man.

"He impersonated my father." Bruce huffed. "Who gave you the right-?"

"…to prevent you from making the greatest mistake of your life by giving up to Rancor?" Fred interrupted, pointing at Zatanna and anger spitting on every word. "Don't ask me. I'm just a demon that corrupts souls, remember? Ask them. They begged me to save you. I think it's called love, Batman…and love feeds on hope. Maybe you should learn something from them."

"Don't talk to me about hope, demon. Your kind have destroyed my life…targeted my friends, killed Alfred." Fred remained silent, hissing under his breath.

"Hmm, that's not entirely true," Zatanna responded helping Bruce gently to his feet. Fred gave him a scorning look saying _'I told you so'_ then turned around to examine the arena closely in an effort to dissipate his anger.

"What?" Batman inquired scrutinizing the arena as if searching for his butler. "Rancor told me he was going to drown him in the harbor."

"That could have been his plan, but when we arrived, Joker just surrendered the crate and left with his tail between his legs."

"Alfred was seriously injured, but Specter took him to the hospital." Zatanna explained, her voice silky and reassuring like a mother speaking to her children. "And just let me know he was in good hands and with time, he will get better."

"And how did you know where I was? I didn't tell Specter."

"You're not the only detective in the family, Batman," Zatanna responded. "Robin was able to figure the clues in the cave too and called Fred to help."

"But I wonder what forced Joker to give so easily, almost without a fight. That is not his style." Blue Demon said as he approached Bruce with a slight limp. "Guess he realized he was outnumbered."

"He didn't fight, but his demonic creations tried to rip us apart." Zatanna said motioning to a gash in Blue's right leg. "Since when can Joker conjure demons? He must be in cahoots with Eligos and his minions."

"That was not Joker, just…Rancor," Batman responded with heavy emotion in his voice for the Clown had probably been his greatest failure of the day. The man that wanted to escape his madness now dead and his body being used as a puppet to spread what he was avoiding the most…chaos. The look in Fred's eyes was puzzling, but at the same time piercing; a combination of resentment and pity. Batman averted the spectacled grey eyes

"And Rancor was in no shape to fight because he had…issues of his own." Fred said as he arranged his shirt and combed his disheveled white hair. Zatanna and Blue looked at each other then at the elder demon with surprise. "Serious issues, more than even a Hunter can chew. I…I apologize if I got you into this mess, Batman. I just gave you the book because I thought it would help you understand."

"It was my fault too. I underestimated Rancor. And it was unfair that I blamed you for what happened to me. Now…Joker is dead too."

"So much emotion bearing heavy in your heart, for a single dark soul like his. Was he—?" Fred said.

"No matter what he was, he was still a human being." Bruce quickly interjected. "He didn't deserve to die like that, his soul eaten by a Hunter."

"Joker's fate is not your fault, Batman," Zatanna said holding a hand. "That madman probably offered himself to Eligos just for the fun."

"Everybody's fate is his responsibility, Zatanna, good or bad." Fred said with his eyes still glued on the vigilante's. Batman felt the demon was reading his very soul. "No exception. That's the nature of The Dark Knight of Gotham. The whole city rests on your shoulders, right?"

Batman nodded, unable to put his thoughts into words. The demon smiled at the Knight politely then bowed gently and with a gesture of his hand bid everybody goodbye.

"I'll leave now, call me with any new development and I'll see what I can do. You too, Batman. Now I have to make sure Martha doesn't miss me too much. Take care." Bruce felt that there was much more that was left unsaid between them, but his mind was too tired to think now. Rancor had been able to do what no other mortal in the world had ever been able to: drain him of that inner force that inspired him, gave meaning to his life. For once he felt afraid. It was time to step back for a moment and take a deep breath, before the final battle. But did he have enough courage left to walk this path again, to fight the battle to the end…to win this battle? He didn't know anymore, and he was not sure if he would know any time soon.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Harley, you must be out of your mind," Selina said, looking over the hand drawn plans laid on the kitchen table. "We can't just walk in there without some back up."

"Batsy will be our backup. We keep them entertained while guano man…"

"Harley…"

"Sorry, while Batman sneaks in and gives them…"

"HARLEY!" Selina yelled. Quinn dropped her jaw and just started in awe at the feline fatale. "Look, Batman is busy…in another part of the investigation. We are on our own."

"But you heard me when I told you Black has that place as secured as a fortress."

"Then we'll have to find a way around that security."

"The only thing I can think of is…the sewer system." Harley responded twirling one of her pigtails.

"The sewer?"

"Yeah, Mr. J and I always used it to move around the city…but get ready to get dirty. And the smell…YUCK!"

"That'll do. If you can get us close to that facility, we can find our way in with no problem."

"I still think it will help to have the Bat watching our backs."

"We can do this without the Bat, Harley. We have surprise on our side."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joker stood at the edge of the roof of the Wayne Tech building scouting silently the city lights below. His green hair was wild and in disarray while his ripped yellow shirt was soaked in blood. The now bloody purple suit was tainted with grime and dirt.

"You still think you have a chance with him, don't you clown," Joker murmured lowly in what sounded more like a growl. "To him you're nothing but a manipulative bastard, incapable anything but lying. Get it through your thick skull. You don't mean anything to him. And you've interfered with me for the last time."

"Where have you been? We were supposed to meet at the warehouse hours ago." A voice startled the Hunter from behind. Joker turned to see Gabriel staring angrily at him. The angel's right arm was bandaged at the shoulder and rested in a sling. The Jester's grin widened.

"You healed fast, Gab. I'm impressed."

"Well, no thanks to you. It was a good idea to grab the butler's attention, but you could have shot one of your gorillas instead of me, you know?"

"Party pooper. I just thought it would be fun to see an angel bleed. 'Sides Gab, you scream like a girl. Now that was…hilarious."

"Jerk. But you didn't answer my question." Gabriel pointed at the tattered Clown's clothes. "What happened to you? It's like you've been in a brawl and lost. And where's the butler?"

"The butler is dead, and I was taking care of a little heartburn. " Joker scratched his raw chest and grimaced in pain. "Nothing an antacid would not fix."

"What you mean the butler is dead? We were supposed to use him to lure Batman to the warehouse."

"We'll just have to find some other meat for the bait, because the butler is now officially off the menu." Joker giggled.

"Menu…what? I hate it when you talk like that clown. Now who could we use to get Bat into the warehouse?"

"He has friends, sidekicks, and lovers, Gab. Make your pick, but if I can make a suggestion, I think you should start by adopting a cat. They make good company…especially when they die."

"Selina…but she hates you."

"Yeah, isn't that fun? As we speak, she's probably meticulously planning my demise and how far do you think she's willing to go to kill the focus of her hatred, Gab? Enough to damn her soul for all eternity? I'm anxiously waiting to taste her." Joker said with a wide toothy smile. Gabriel nodded assertively as the right corner of his mouth lifted in a perverse smirk. At that moment, Two-Face appeared on the roof, his eyes glowing bright as he slowly approached the duo.

"You summoned me Rancor, what do you want?"

"I need you to track down a pesky little feline whore for me."

"You wasted my time for this? I don't get orders from you, brother."

"That's right, the pact. Funny that you mention it," Joker said turning to face his fellow Hunter. Gabriel watched silently from his corner. He could smell the boiling tension between the Hunters. "'cause it's all a big bad joke. A joke that has been played on all of us, brother Fovos, because there has never been a pact."

Two-Face narrowed his eyes and exhaled a thick cloud of yellow vapor. "What are you talking about? Eligos promised our freedom from Master Lucifer after Augor's return."

"Sure, then why does he keep treating us like the slaves we were made to be? Look at you, Fovos. Retrieving documents from a library…really? You are more than a messenger boy, dear brother. A hell of a lot more."

"You're betraying the pact. If Eligos hears you speak like this, he will destroy you."

"I'm no traitor to my own, Fovos, only to those that double cross us, and right now that's exactly what Eligos is trying to do." Joker said, carefully arranging Two-Face's suit collar and tie. "If we let Lord Eligos go on his way, he will just switch the Master we serve. Still slaves, Fovos, no matter how you see it."

"How do you know this…he made us a promise: We'll be free to feed on the miseries of this world."

"By Eligos' command. When was the last time a Prince kept his word? They are all full of themselves and Eligos is no different. But if I need to appease your curiosity…I heard him say so himself."

Two-Face paused to process the information. "If that is true, then we should unite and-."

Joker lifted a warning finger. "We should keep playing this little game a little longer. Let Eligos tie the noose around his own little neck for now, and we'll have the last laugh when we pull the lever later. We can play his game too, Fovos. I will need that whore for Eligos' to open the door. After Augor is free, we'll play our cards and give Mr. Black his payback."

"And why would Augor set us free?"

"He has a score to settle with our masters. If we help him exact revenge on those who imprisoned him, he will kill our masters for us. You see? We don't need Eligos' lies anymore, brother. Now, find me the girl, and let's play a little cat and mouse, handsome." Joker said patting Dent's scarred face. "Oh, and don't tell anybody else, Fovos. I'm sure Eligos has spies everywhere."

Two-face turn to look at Gabriel with resentment. "And the Angel?"

"He's with us." Joker giggled. "He told me the truth of Eligos' plans. His pure soul couldn't stand deception, I guess."

"An angel on our side is unheard of." Joker nodded. Two-face sniffed the air. "I will do as you say for now brother Rancor, but I will require more proof of Eligos' deception. I'm not going to be denied my share of fear from these mortals…or any other creature, and I need my freedom to terrorize their mortal souls as I please."

"I got your back, Fovos. Now find me the cat and make sure she is still interested in me. I need her to hate me with every fiber of her being. Her dark soul will be mine to savor and will free us from slavery, brother."

In a dark cloud of mist, Fovos disappeared from the rooftop and Joker returned to the edge to take a look at the city that had seem to come to life as the darkness of the night enveloped it. This wretched city, that rejoiced in the evils of man, a paradise for a Hunter who fed in the anger that the Gotham night brought.

"You told Fovos you had heard Eligos-."

"I know what I told him, Gab. Your point?" Joker said, inhaling deep. Angry people were in the streets, ready to lash their hatred out on their fellow neighbors. Sweet entrée he could almost savor.

"You lied."

"Did I?" The Jester shrugged. "Must have been a slip of the tongue."

"If he finds out—"

"By the time he finds out, it will be too late to do anything else…and I will be free."

"And to be free you need the Bat's anger, not Selina's."

"And Selina will bring the Bat down, a plan conceived in hell if you ask me." Rancor responded with a smile.

"But not like we've planned. There's too much at stake to improvise now. I need to open that door, Rancor."

"And we will. I promised you a celestial battle, Gabriel, and you'll have one of epic proportions. You'll be the hero getting all the glory and then you will release me by slaying my master with your mighty sword, remember?"

"I remember…just hope YOU remember your part of the bargain."

"How can I not…my freedom depends on it. Now go change the dressing on that arm…your angelical blood is making me hungry. And tell Master Eligos his dinner will be served shortly." Joker held his chest painfully with his hand. Gabriel disappeared from the roof leaving the Hunter alone sulking in his own dark hatred. "Heh…I wonder what feeding on an angry angel will taste like. Maybe it's just like chicken." Rancor laughed, grimacing in pain. "But first…let's have a little chat, clown. There's something I want to teach you."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was past nine o'clock as Gordon read the last page of the police report on the museum incident that the NYPD was kind enough to supply that very night. He had read it three times and still, none of it made any sense. Gordon had posted over a dozen guards inside a museum, all of which were dead now, and had surrounded the building with enough police enforcers from both NYPD and GCPD to make for a small army. Still, Jonathan Crane had been able to sneak in, steal some old documents from within the statue, face Batman and Robin and leave the scene without been seen. That was just humanly impossible, but Robin explained Crane had become more than just human, possessed by a demon. That was just too hard to swallow.

The Commissioner removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was getting too weird, looking more like a nightmare or a horror flick than real life. Moreover, how was he going to have the courage to write about demons and spirits in his report? No one would take him seriously.

As Gordon set the file aside he heard laughter outside the door. A wild and insane laughter that made the hair at the back of his neck stand. The Commissioner looked at his watch and realized that at this time, no one was supposed to be out there. Gordon rose and walked over the door and looked through the glass. The lights on the floor were dimmed and he could not see anybody. He opened the door and peeked out. On the far corner of the office the janitor was emptying the trash in one of the cubicles. The janitor looked up.

"Oh…didn't know you were still here, sir. Anything I can do for you?" The janitor said with a smile.

"No, Sam. Thanks." Gordon made a short pause before he went back to his office. "Hmm. Sam, were you laughing a moment ago?"

"No, sir. Why?"

"Nothing. I think I'm just a little too tired, that's all. G'night, Sam," Gordon said, waving a hand at the janitor who nodded politely before returning to his work. The Commissioner walked back to his office and closed the door behind him. Suddenly he noticed the air had become heavy and almost asphyxiating, making it very difficult to breathe. He felt angry and frustrated for no obvious reason and then heard that sardonic laughter again, but this time it was inside his office, specifically from his desk. Someone sat in his chair with his back to him, and that someone was laughing at him. That made Gordon even angrier. What was so damn funny?

"Who goes there?" The Commissioner asked with some shortness of breath. The chair slowly turned to show Joker dressed in a black tux over a dark blood-red shirt. A red and green polka-dot bow tie finished the ensemble. In his hands, the Jester twirled a wooden cane with the top carved to his resemblance. Gordon growled. "You."

"And who were you expecting, Santa Claus?" Joker responded with a childish giggle. "Aren't you glad to see me again since the ceremony? You missed me, Gordy. Don't lie."

"I do want to see you, but back in your damn cell, you maniac." Gordon said, trying to reach for his gun, but he felt stiff and tense, unable to move a muscle. He looked at the door behind him and wished himself to call for help, but he could not move from where he stood and his voice started to freeze in his throat. "What…have you done …to me?"

"Nothing…yet," Joker rose and walked over to Gordon, still playing with the cane in his hand. "You're funny, Gordy, but I didn't like you inviting an army to my city without first asking me. You should know better."

"Your city?"

"My city. Bat or no Bat, this has always been my city and you keep forgetting it. Now aren't you going to apologize for that oversight?"

"Screw you," Gordon tried to yell for help with what little voice he had left when he felt a knot on his throat. He lost his voice. Now he was just able to stare at that demonic grinning face in front of him.

"Good old Gordy. Always the proud cop," Joker laughed. "Now tell me, old friend, how's Barbie…still on wheels, isn't she?"

Gordon growled, since he was unable to speak. The memory of his daughter bleeding on the floor from a gunshot wound to the abdomen was still fresh in his mind. A memory that Joker was obsessed on keeping fresh at every chance he had. Only this time the image was so vivid, so real, that he could almost see the blood on the floor, and hear her screaming in pain on the floor. _God help me Joker…You touch her again and I'll kill you…_Gordon thought as the Clown's smile widened.

"Yes…in a wheelchair. And who put her there…not me, was it?" Joker pressed a hand sheepishly over his chest while rejoicing on Gordon's anger boiling inside. "You are the one who put her on the chair, my good man. I just supplied the lead that pierced her spine, but it was your friendship with Mr. Guano Man that pulled the trigger. He's the real cause of your sorrow and your hatred, I'm just an intermediary. Barbie would be walking between book shelves rather than using the handicap ramp at the library if it wasn't for him. Don't you hate it when I'm right, Gordy?"

"What do you want?" Gordon managed to spurt out through his teeth. Each syllable tainted by deep hatred.

Joker shrugged smugly and leaned close to Gordon's ear. "I'm just improvising now, but I just thought I would use this time to tell you what I'm going to do your girl. After all, she's my great unfinished symphony, you know?"

_You better not touch her, you son of a bitch! _Gordon thought, trying unsuccessfully to speak his protests. Angry at his impotence, he tried to pull the gun in the holster inside his jacket again, but his muscles were not responding. As if the Clown read his mind, the Jester pulled out the handgun and rested the cold metal barrel against Gordon's chin.

"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do, Gordy, it's just rude. And don't threaten me. I wonder how good old Barbie would feel when she sees her father on the front page of the Gazette with a hole through his head and a deck of Jokers down his throat. She'll probably hate me, don't you think? Let's find out…I'm hungry for some hate." The Joker started to giggle but suddenly the chortle escalated to a loud crazy laughter. He was laughing so hard that tears started to flow heavily from his eyes. "I always say that if you're gonna go, at least go with a smile. Come on, give this old clown a little smile…eh?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Martha was putting some dishes away in the kitchen, while Fred was finishing drying another batch of cups and saucers by the sink when the front door bell rang twice. Without hesitation, Martha placed her plates over the counter and rushed towards the foyer.

"I'll get that, darling." She promptly said, drying her hands on her apron.

Fred sniffed the air and grunted as he returned to his dishes, concentrating meticulously in any water spots inside the cups. After a brief exchange at the door, Martha reappeared in the kitchen with the unexpected visitor.

"Fred, look who came to pay you a visit." The demon looked up at his wife and visitor without uttering a word, still working on his cups and mugs. "Mr. Bruce Wayne from Wayne Enterprises. You never told me you knew Mr. Wayne." Fred ignored her as he finished drying the cups and stacked them with the dishes.

"I came to return the book your husband lent me." Bruce said politely to Martha.

"You shouldn't have bothered yourself. It's just a book." The tone in the demon's voice was as cold as an Arctic breeze seeping deep into Bruce's bones.

"FRED!" the woman protested giving the old man a scolding look. Fred seemed unimpressed and shrugged disdainfully as he started to put saucers and cups in the cupboard. Martha turned to the visitor. "You'll have to excuse Fred; his arthritis must be making him cranky today. Can I offer you anything to drink, Mr. Wayne?"

"No thanks, I'm fine." Bruce said humbly. The old demon looked at him from above his square glasses. "Here's the book, Fred."

"It's alright, Mr. Wayne," Fred said, rushing to dry his hands and take the book from the millionaire's hand before Martha could even get her hands on it. "I'm sorry for being so rude. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I was wondering…if I could have a word with you. It would not take long." Bruce looked at Martha who glanced around nervously. "I promise."

"You can use the library. I'll finish the dishes, dear."

"But Mr. Wayne prefers to talk this over some Starbucks coffee." Fred said prompting Bruce to follow on the conversation with a wink. Wayne nodded silently. "Nothing better than a warm latte when talking some important business, right Mr. Wayne? Do you mind Martha? It's just boring business."

"No I don't mind. It's important business after all." Martha responded, kissing her husband on the cheek and whispering to him in a playful tone. "You never told me you had any important businesses with Bruce Wayne. Go, Freddy…"

"I just hate bragging about that," Fred smiled at the guest. "Mr. Wayne…after you, please. The coffee shop is just a block away south." The demon grabbed Martha by the waist and kissed her tenderly on the lips. The old woman giggled, pushing him back playfully. "Now that's more like it. Be back soon, dear. I promise, and I'll tell you all about it."

With a polite smile, Bruce bid Martha goodbye and headed to the front door. Fred caught up to him after grabbing his jacket from the clothes rack; Martha reminded him he would catch a cold in the cold autumn breeze if he was not well protected. Both Wayne and the demon bought their coffees and headed out to a small park nearby the shop where they sat in one of the benches to enjoy their drinks.

"You manipulated her into letting us go, didn't you?"

"Martha?" Fred knitted his brow. "I've never forced her to do anything. She trusts me, and I just had to leave the house because you here…If anybody was following you, you just lead them to Martha."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-." Bruce said apologetically holding Fred's shoulder. The demon nodded assertively.

"I know you didn't mean it, but Hunters and Princes are keeping an eye for you," Fred finally said. "Always remember that your soul has a price for Eligos and Hunters alike. And remember I want Martha out of it all."

"I'm sorry. It's just…" Bruce let out a long and tired sigh. "…I didn't know where else to go. I feel like I've reached a wall. What Rancor did to me was-."

"A lie, end of story. But since yesterday, you're not sure if you should go on with all this. Is that it?"

"You knew I was coming to you, didn't you?" Bruce said knitting his brow, "After you got in my head."

"No. What you went through is not easy for any mortal to handle, but, Bruce…with all due respect… humans are quite predictable."

Batman sighed. "I just realized I'm putting a lot of people at risk, Fred. Innocent people are getting hurt because of me. First Dick. This time it was Alfred. Maybe if I'm out of the picture the others can-."

"You humans are so naïve. Eligos and his minions have their eyes on you and they're not going to let you go no matter what you do. Don't you see they are preparing you?"

"For what?

Fred shrugged and cradled the coffee cup gently in his hands while he kept his closed his eyes. "You are the door…isn't that what Rancor told you? That was your only thought when I woke you up."

"You shouldn't trust what Rancor said, he's always lying." Bruce paused, waiting for Fred so say something, but the silence confused him more. "He was not lying, was he? Do you know what he meant?"

"I think." The demon let himself rest heavily on the bench beside Wayne. "A pure soul sealed Augor and his minions on the other side of the glass and another soul is needed to open that door. An exchange of equals, but the door will not open until Eligos can turn the key by corrupting it." Fred mimicked the turn of a key inside a lock.

"But it makes no sense, my soul is not pure."

"Maybe not to you, Bruce, but you're special. You sacrifice your life for the well-being of others no matter who they are. Your soul was forged in the darkness of hatred and resentment that night your parents died. You hated life because it was not being fair to you, and your anger craved revenge for what was taken from you. You should have been as evil and ruthless as Joker, yet you chose to put those feeling aside, and turn the darkness…into light. Your mission is no longer to punish, but to save lives. Only pure souls can do that. Your soul will be a fair exchange, one Eligos believes he will be able to corrupt…because they're trying hard to have you turn to that darkness inside you, aren't they?"

Bruce nodded. "But you make it sound like it is a great deal. I'm just another man."

"Not many people can walk through the darkness without getting corrupted. For example, you could have killed Joker how many times now and yet…you didn't?"

"But I could not prevent Joker from becoming what he was…or save him from Rancor." Bruce's tone became somber.

"Like Zatanna said, Joker's fate was not your fault. Still, you could have just opted to destroy the evil or let it be destroyed by Rancor."

"Joker is not evil." Bruce did not hesitate to jump into the Jester's defense. "He…he was insane."

"He was a dark soul, who gave to the temptations of the darkness within. Madness is a term you humans use to excuse some behaviors. Joker enjoyed what he did. He reveled in his own wickedness."

"Was he irredeemable, then?" The demon looked into his empty cup and smiled at Bruce's question. "You are a demon, Fred. Evil by nature, yet you found a way out of your darkness. You don't think a mortal deserves that opportunity as well?"

"Touché, Detective. But you just confirmed something that intrigued me at the carnival. Yesterday your heart was worried about your butler, but what you felt for Joker…was guilt. Guilt for what, not saving his soul?" Fred turned to meet the millionaire's gaze. "For all I know, Joker could have begged Rancor to use him. And you know that."

"He could… but maybe he didn't." Bruce hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know anymore."

"Yet you're defending him…for a second time in less than five minutes. I think you do know; your heart knows. Listen to your heart, Bruce. What is it telling you?" Bruce took a long time to answer that question.

"He…Joker had told me he wanted to get out of the darkness, too." Bruce said, not able to help himself. He had to tell someone what he had discussed with the Clown, and Fred felt like a receptive pair of ears that, unlike other people, would be able to understand without biases. "Nobody knows this, but Joker said he wanted to show me he could be better. Said I… I inspired him to be better. If that's true, he deserved a chance to be better, Fred, and I could not even give him that. Maybe if I would have tried harder I could have saved him..." Bruce shook his head. "But maybe Joker deserved it. Rancor said that all Joker ever said was a lie."

"Rancor's a liar, too, remember?" Fred said, finishing his cup. "He could have been trying to provoke your anger, because you felt angry after he told you Joker had lied to you, right?"

"I hated Joker for lying to me….God! I was just feeding Rancor's need for hatred. It was Rancor who played me."  
"That's what Hunters do, Bruce. He was trying to tempt you."

"And he was trying to convince me on helping him gain his freedom from Lucifer's rule."

"Rancor?" Fred choked and stared into the vigilante's sapphire eyes. "He what?"

"That's why he wanted to meet. He wanted me to kill Lucifer along with Augor and Eligos. He was going to help me if I help him set him free."

"Are you sure about this? I mean…a Hunter plotting against his demon lord is…well, unheard off." Fred read the confusion in Bruce's eyes and went on. "You read the book. Hunters are extension of demon souls and they lack free will, because they don't need it. They live to feed on the emotions they are created from, like Rancor feeding on anger and hate. They have no space for anything else and they will serve whoever can feed them the most. It's their hunger what drives them and that makes them dangerous, since they don't really have real loyalties, just an insatiable Hunger."

"Rancor didn't seem too hungry. He just sounded like…"

"Like Joker." Fred finished solemnly, pondering in what he was hearing.

"In a way, yes. He had it all planned: kidnapping Alfred, luring me to the fair to force me into killing his Master, even a plan B if I were to refuse."

"Yet, Joker said he wanted to be free of his madness? Be a free soul."

"Yes, but what does that have to do with this? Joker is dead."

"I…I am not so sure about that anymore. Rancor seemed confused when he faced us, unable to control the conjured demons that carried the crate and later attacked us. It was as if he could not focus. Did Rancor do anything strange at the fair?"

Bruce looked intently into Fred's eyes. "When I refused to help, Rancor got very angry, threatened to hurt my friends and started mumbling nonsense…ripped his shirt and tore at his skin. Even asked me to kill him." The millionaire ran a hand down his face. "He probably wanted to tempt me again. He knows about my vow to not kill."

"Let me see it."

"What?" Bruce protested, leaning back on the bench.

"Let me see what you saw. If my suspicions are right, everything we think is wrong and what you saw and heard was not Rancor, but Joker."

"Joker is dead. Hunters destroy their host's souls and take over, like a parasite. Your book stated it clearly."

"That's the rule, but if a Hunter finds a soul from which it can feed, he will keep it and that is a fate worse than death. I bet Joker is one angry man…"

Then suddenly, it all made sense. What he saw at the fair was not a show to tempt him or confuse him, but the fight of a man trying to free himself from the dark monster that was eating him from the inside, and once more, Bruce refused to listen to him. He could only imagine how much the Jester must resent him for letting him suffer this horrible fate, how betrayed he must feel deep inside for not being trusted, or cared for. How different was Bruce from the world that he turned his back on a lonely man hurting inside, and turned that pain into an anger and hatred that has made the world bleed. An anger that could feed a thousand Hunters like Rancor.

"You have no idea, but I don't feel comfortable with you digging in my head."

"And what about Joker? If he's alive, don't you think he deserves the dignity of being released from Rancor so he can choose the path he wants to go? Right now he is only Rancor's slave." Fred looked intently into Wayne's eyes. "Redemption can only come when we can make the free choice to be better than what we are now, Bruce."

"But Joker could have been lying to all of us. Like you said, this could be part of his plans."

"But deep inside you, you want to believe all is not lost…that even HE could change. You have a strong sense of hope, Bruce."

"It is still Joker, Fred."

"And? Not knowing if he lied to you is eating you at the core. If he really wants to be better, he deserves better. You said it. And you want it to be like that."

Wayne stretched nervously against the backrest, running his hands across his hair. Was all this worth it? Joker was a madman, responsible for the death of hundreds, and the maiming of an even larger number of people. Were the Clown's intentions real? He didn't know anymore, and he was not going to know unless he gave Joker a chance. For a brief moment it seemed like the Jester was trying hard to help, but if Rancor was forcing him to do all this evil things, he could only imagine the frustration of calling for help and no one caring to listen. He just needed to trust…even in the impossible. Hope was all that he had left. Bruce extended his hands towards Fred, the coarse palms up like pleading

"Then see for yourself." Bruce finally offered, and Fred took him to the offer. And what the demon saw was painful to watch even with a dark heart forged in hell like his. Memories from an imprisonment on a basement, a benefit gala that went all wrong, and finally the carnival played in front of him like a movie. He relived the every scene, listened to every word, felt every emotion and there was only one thing that could explain what he saw. Something he had experience himself, and made all the difference in his long immortal existence. Fred broke contact with the millionaire, brusquely. "Well?"

"Joker is alive, and his fighting Rancor with all he has." Fred made a pause. "And all he has left now…is you, and he thinks he's losing even that now."

'What you mean?" It took a moment for the revelation to sink in. "Joker is sick. He can hardly control his mind, much less his emotions."

"But you are his anchor. In the basement…remember? With you, Jack is in control…not Joker and he's able to feel something other than hate. Without hate, Rancor would have nothing to hold on. It was Jack who asked you to kill him, not Rancor. He prefers to die than to hurt you or see you being hurt. What he feels for you is that strong."

"Can he be saved; I mean…can I do something to help him?"

"How much are you willing to sacrifice?" Again, Bruce's eyes looked confused. "After all, Joker is wanted for almost any atrocity imaginable. He's made a lot of people suffer, some close to you. Some people would say this is a rightful punishment for all he has done."

"NO! Not this. And he wants to change…right? That would not erase his record, but he deserves better than this."

"Do you believe he can change? He needs you to believe he can change or otherwise he will have no other hope left. Who else would care for him but you, Bruce? He needs you to give him the only weapon that can defeat hatred. HOPE by understanding…love."

"Love…but I'm not in love with…"

"The moment you're willing to take chances for someone else, you care. Isn't caring a form of love too?"

"I thought you meant…"

"I see things differently than you humans and there is a lot you need to sort out, when you are ready to sort them out." Fred interrupted. "Now, you need to offer Joker the chance to be free, but he needs your help and your strength. He needs hope to hold on or he will just give up to Rancor."

"What do I need to do?"

"First, forget your anger. The moment you're angry and feed the hate, you are Rancor's pawn. Then go where Joker told you to go. I think Joker was trying to tell you something when he mentioned Laff Co."

Memory kicked in as soon as Fred finished his sentence. Laff Co was a novelty store in the East side that Joker had used as a hideout many years ago. He remember fighting the Clown on the roof of the building, the Jester had weakened him with some of his toxic venom. Everything looked glum, when one of the hostages Joker had kept fired on him and the Clown went over the rail down to what surely looked like his death. No, he did not die. He could not die. Joker was too stubborn to just quit, the same thing he was probably he was probably trying to do as he tried to fight Rancor's hold. The Jester had survived events that would have killed any normal human person. Bruce wondered if this was something Joker would be able to survive so easily.

"Fred, Joker asked me to kill him. Does that mean that's the only way?"

Fred shrugged. "I cannot tell you. I don't know of anybody who has been able to fight a Hunter successfully, even temporarily. What Joker feels for you…must be real really strong or he would not have been able to reach you like he did at the carnival."

"If I stay and fight, more people will get hurt."

"Even if you don't stay, Rancor will find you and hurt you. He needs to hurt you because he craves your darkness. If he can break you to give into this anger, he will have a feast with you. You will be fighting to free Joker, but also to free yourself from the darkness deep within, and by doing that, you will not only save a soul, but a city along with it. But be warned, Bruce. This could become your Waterloo. You have to be sure of what you're taking on."

"Like my father said not too long ago…the last thing I can lose is Hope. Without hope, nothing else is worth it, right?" Bruce said to Fred with a shadow of a smile in his face. The demon recalled his intervention at the fair and smiled back.

"Then go; there is too much you need to do and time is running out. I'll help you as much as I can."

"Come with me then. You can tell me if this was Rancor or Joker's idea. You can show me the truth."

"I'll do the best I can, but it is you who must look deep into your heart and settle your feelings towards your enemy. Joker needs all the hope you can gather…and you need to trust your heart."

* * *

**THE JOKER'S LAIR**, my personal Joker-centric site has been updated. This is what you will find new on the site:

The JOKER CHRONOLOGY IN COMICS has been updated once more. Yes, it now will include the NEW 52 line as well as multiple other new comics added.

There is a preview for the NEW 52 DETECTIVE COMICS #1 including a sneak peek to that terrifying last page that has everybody waiting for the next issue.

PREVIEWS CATALOG NOVEMBER SOLICITATIONS for Joker marchandise is UP

New art has been added to JIM LEE GALLERY and TOLUENESISTER GALLERY

ARKHAM CITYPreviews Garlore!

*PLAYSTATION MAGAZINE: "Secrets of Arkham CIty"

*XBOX MAGAZINE : "Hands on Batman Arkham City"

*EDGE MAGAZINE: "Arkham City Preview"

*PLAY MAGAZINE: "Arkham City Hands On and Interviews"

*SNEAK PEEK VIDEO to PENGUIN, Mr. FREEZE and CATWOMAN (unedited)

*BATMAN JOKER CO-OP: Are they Messing with My Mind?


	39. Seeing is Believing

**Author's Note**_: Hi everyone. Ive been taken some time to work with my Joker site and some other things, but are now back with another chapter. This chapter is quite long, guess I forgot how to do shorter ones, but I think it is still entertaining. I just need you to enjoy it and let me know how you feel about it. Don't forget that we authors need feedback as much as we need fiber in our diets. It fills us and makes us stronger. Anyways, from a few chapters back things are starting to speed up as we are close to the final confrontation. Enough talking on my part and full to the action. Please enjoy this chapter. _

_Don't forget to visit my site, the **JOKER'S LAIR.** Joker news, updated few times a week. Everything you want to know about Joker in one single place._

_DISCLAIMER 1: BATMAN and all related characters belong to DC COMICS. I don't own, so don't sue._

_DISCLAIMER 2: There will be MATURE LANGUAGE and MATURE situations of STRONG Sexual reference. Read at your own risk._

_BETA: This chapter has been beta by ICE NEKKO. I bow to your kindness for lending a hand in a moment of need..._

**Chapter 39**: _Seeing is Believing..._

It was early morning when Bruce arrived at the Batcave. After speaking to Fred, he had to sift through the large volume of facts and emotions the revelations had brought forth, especially doubt. What if Joker had been lying to him all along, luring him to a deadly game? Joker was no saint, and saving him could be the greatest mistake of his life, but deep inside he felt the man that pleaded at the fair was not an angry man enjoying seeing others in pain, but a man who wanted to be released from his own pain. Bruce had ignored the Jester so many times before he could not bear the guilt of ignoring his only way of redemption yet again. If Joker was really suffering under Rancor's grip, leaving him there for all eternity was just …inhumane, even for the Jester.

He had to go against what he believed and rationalized and just…try. Even when his mind told him this was all a big mistake, and that was the greatest feeling he had to set aside.

Around Bruce the cave looked tidier, a sign that Robin had taken to himself on setting straight the mess Joker had left behind. From the second floor of the cave, where the backup drives were kept, a familiar voice called to him. From the rails above, Tim waved welcome.

"You had me worried, old man." Robin said walking down the stairs to meet Bruce at the main vault. "Where have you been?"

"Sorting things out. Thanks for helping Specter and the rest of the Pact find me. How do you feel after what Argor made you go through?"

"I am still a little bit shaken, but I think I will be fine. You, on the other hand, look exhausted, and I can still see the bruises on your face. Rancor shook you up bad too, didn't he?"

Bruce nodded silently not wanting to indulge in lengthy explanations and walked over to the armory and stepped on a raised rock. From the floor, a containment unit with a Batman costume rose with a hiss of compressed air. "I'm fine. You need to rest and I will help you later with the clean-up."

"You're not planning on going out again, are you?" Tim asked without getting an answer. Bruce removed his brown sports jacket and started to arrange the uniform for a fitting. "Yes, you are. Bruce. You need to rest, too. If we are going to win this, we need to be in our best condition."

"I just need to check something out. I will not be long."

"Where are you going?" Robin asked, Bruce wishing this interrogatory would end. He didn't feel like giving any explanations tonight.

"Have a lead I need to check out with Fred. If you want to help, I will need some information on possessions and exorcisms." Bruce looked up at the Bat-computer station, the whole unit still in disarray and with a smashed screen. "And I think you will have to do it the old fashioned way. We will not have a computer for a few days."

"I don't understand…exorcisms? I'm not possessed anymore, Bruce."

"And I want to keep it that way. I'm not repeating the scene at the museum and we need incantations to protect us. This is a war, and the price is our souls." Bruce started to suit up when Tim stood before him.  
"Bruce, I needed to tell you something. What Scarecrow made me feel…it was not completely untrue."  
"What do you mean?" Bruce asked, feeling the uneasy tension in the young man's face. In a way, Tim has been fighting his own little war as well and was starting to show.

"You have been acting very strangely ever since Joker had you in the basement." Tim made a pause to ponder in his words. "You have not been hiding anything from us right, Bruce?"

"No." Batman responded simply as he adjusted the armored gauntlets around his arms.

"And you're not…protecting Joker, right?"

To that, Bruce stopped what he was doing and looked at the young man directly in the eyes. He wished he hadn't. The boy was asking for a reaffirmation on a fact that should not even be in doubt. Joker was a criminal, and Batman stopped criminals…not protected them. But with Joker, this usually undisputed line of good and bad had become too blurry for even himself. When does an evil man stops being evil, to become a victim of his own mind? For the first time, Bruce wondered if a lie was enough justification to keep the trust of his friends.

Tim went on, noticing the disconcerting look in Bruce's eyes. "Of course not. I know it's silly…you probably hate Joker as much as I do. Sorry, Bruce. I answered my own question."

Bruce walked over Tim and set his hands over the young man's shoulders. "I have a mission to protect my city and my family. I will stand on the way of anybody who wants to harm the innocent, let it be Joker, Dent, Penguin or even myself. IS THAT CLEAR?"  
"I know…I know. It was a silly question." Tim said, breaking the bond between both of them. For once, Bruce said something he really meant, though he knew that didn't answer Tim's question. Would that had been enough to satisfy the boy's doubts? "You go follow your lead, I'll see what I can find at the Justice League library and I'll ask Zatanna for more resources."

"Also alert Clark and Diana. Full moon is in a few days and we might need the League to help us in this matter."

"You have a plan?"

"Almost. Hopefully this lead will help me get ready to take down Eligos and his demonic hordes."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Two-Face arrived at Selina's apartment past midnight. The air was thick and heavy, and the silence was like a cemetery. The apartment had been empty for days, but he could still smell the fear lingering inside. It was the fear of cats that knew their deadly fate at the hands of a possessed madman, but strongest was the smell of impotence. Lingering in your own uselessness, and you are a prey for darkness, Harvey thought smiling to himself. And once this darkness wraps you in its tentacles, they only way out will be to die. Do the world a favor…and in the process feed an angry Hunter. It would be easy to corrupt this weak soul…until he found another smell in the apartment. One he knew very well and thought was strange to find here.

"Inhio," Harvey whispered inhaling hard. That venomous scent of uncontrollable lust and passion flooded his nose and brain. Questions sparked in his attorney's mind: Did Rancor knew about Inhio's presence here, or was this a secret plan that Eligos refused to share with him or the other Hunters? It was hard to tell. Maybe Rancor was right and they were all being played by Black and his lies. He will have to confront his sister on this matter, but for now, the trail on the elusive feline was slowly dissipating and he needed to move fast.

Harvey walked around and took a look at a bunch of papers on the kitchen counter. Sifting through them, he found names of men and women that had worked for the Clown at one time or another. The feline thief was indeed on the Joker's trail, just like Rancor predicted. On one of the papers, he found a small list of ten names, nine of which had been crossed out in blue marker. The last name on the list had been speared the fate of the previous nine, but it had been smeared by stale coffee. With some effort he was able to make the name underneath: Harleen Quinzel. Harvey grinned. That clown girl will be easy to track down, as she probably shared the scent of her lover…Joker. A scent he knew too well, after his dealings with Rancor and his Clown host. Harvey had caught up with the trail again and in a puff of yellow smoke, he left the apartment in search of his prey.

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Bruce arrived at the Laff Company, flashes from the past hit him like a brick. Last time here, he had faced the Jester and a small army of goons for the lives of a dozen hostages Joker was getting ready to gas with his venom. The fight had been brutal, but at the end Joker and his army had been defeated and the hostages had been rescued. After the Joker was sent back to the Asylum, the building had been emptied and set for sale but no one ever bought it. And it was obvious why the city could not find a buyer…this was Joker's property. Does anyone in his sane mind really want to mess up with a demented psychotic clown for a piece of realty? Not likely.

That was then, but as he entered the building, the smell of old blood and putrid flesh inundated his nostrils making him retch. Bruce pulled a gas mask from his utility belt to cover his mouth and nose. Where was this smell coming from? The place was supposed to have been empty since Joker's arrest over two years ago, but now it smelled like a slaughter house. Behind him, footsteps startled him. By the door stood the short, plump silhouette of Fred who peeked gingerly inside the building, his gray eyes were wide as an owl's.

"What's going on?" Bruce asked.

"The hate, anger and fear intermingled with blood and... Don't you feel it?" Fred said holding onto the door frame. "It's everywhere."

"I can smell old blood…rotted meat."

"It's more than that and it's stronger downstairs." Fred said walking gingerly into the large delivery deck. He closed his eyes as he followed the odor like a hound concentrated on the trail. "Bodies…a family butchered in front of the father. I can almost see the hatred in the man's eyes…Bruce, Rancor's hunger is out of control."

"More reason to stop Rancor as soon as we can." Bruce said, forcing the lock on the door that lead to the office's main delivery department. It was a large area of white cubicles for national deliveries, and blue cubicles to the left labeled "International." "I'll contact Gordon after we're done, but first we need to find out what Joker was talking about."

"The basement will be the place to start. It's where Rancor's energy is the strongest, but I warn you…it's not going to be pretty." Fred said, guiding Bruce across the maze of cubicles to the door that led to the stairs. After a few seconds of picking at the lock, Batman went down the stairs followed closely by Fred.

And the demon was not lying when he said it would not be a pretty sight. The smell grew stronger as they descended and at the bottom of the stairs Bruce shined a flashlight to the gruesome scene displayed in the large basement. There were four bodies tied with duct tape to executive chairs. Two children and two adults half-rotted away, not enough to make any visual identification possible. From what was left of the carcasses' tattered clothing, Bruce deduced one adult was a female and the other was a male; probably parents, and it was difficult to determine how long they had been here. There was not that much of the little bodies of the children to tell, either. In the room, they could hear rats as they ran around nervously, scared by the light. Batman found the wall switch and turned on the lights. This has not only been a massacre, but a very large party. Amidst the scattered flesh and splattered blood, there were remains of balloons and confetti and on a nearby table, were three birthday candles.

"This is Joker's doing," Bruce muttered to himself, remembering the countless times Joker murdered someone in the middle of a birthday. For the Jester, murder and a birthday party were as inseparable as stockings on Christmas.

"Rancor's hunger for anger and Joker's taste for bloodthirsty fun. Perfect combination."

"But Joker had been trying to hold himself from killing anybody." Bruce said, scouting the scene for a clue as to what Joker would have wanted him to get from the scene. Still, nothing made sense. "He held back at Gordon's award ceremony and at my home during the benefit gala."

"Joker's no longer himself, Bruce, and deep inside he IS still a murderer."

"I know, but that doesn't mean he is not still trying. This has to be Rancor, not Joker. Didn't you say you felt Rancor's energy here?"

Fred nodded. "You really believe in that psychopath, don't you? Nobody else would believe him innocent of this, but you. You are willing to sacrifice it all for him."

"If I told you the things Joker told me, Fred. So calmed, so sad, so…sane. You'd think you were speaking to someone else."

"Not Joker…but Jack."

Bruce noticed Fred staring intently at him. He could feel the demon's eyes peeling away at his armor, skin and muscles to reach deep, a feeling that made him uncomfortable and Bruce turned towards the wall to continue tapping gently along its surface. "Yes, Jack. You know, don't you?"

"Most of what transpired on the basement?" Fred responded, following the Vigilante along the wall and looking down to avoid stepping on the remains and blood stains on the floor. "You could say that, but for me, facts are of little use, for I cannot trust them. What you humans feel and what you do don't necessarily mean the same thing. I am more interested in the emotions involving the actions. Those never lie as to what's really underneath your skin…"

"I would say that it is the other way around. Facts are the only real truth."

"You could tell me you don't feel a thing for the Joker, act like this is just another one of your cases, but your heart speaks differently." Fred smiled. "Your facts and feelings are rather…contradictory. And you feel for the Joker."

The comment hit him hard. Bruce was quick to turn to Fred. "I told you I'm not in love with him. He's the one with that psychosis."

"And yet you quickly get defensive on the subject, even when I'm not talking about that. What I meant is that though you don't want anyone to know, you want Joker to be redeemable. That's because so far for you, he has been your greatest failure. You care for him, Bruce. Why do you insist on denying you two are linked and how close you and that psychopath have become? He's the ticket to your own salvation, isn't he?"

Bruce sighed and paused a moment before responding. "You don't understand. I feel responsible for what he is. If I had not have fought him so carelessly on that catwalk at the card company, he might not have slipped into the vat of chemicals and become this, this angry thing. You know how many lives I could have saved?" Batman stopped in front of an all dusty wall painting of a carnival in a rural town. The colors were faded, but the edges of the mural were not flushed with the wall. He tapped carefully around the perimeter obtaining a hollow sound.

"I don't think you could have prevented much. Maybe the murderous clown would not exist, but Jack… Bruce, Rancor is using what is already inside Joker, slowly becoming the Clown himself in the process. That's a problem with Hunters when they use a body for too long, especially one with an intact soul. What you see in Rancor is what's inside Jack, like it or not."

"Can you be sure of that?" Bruce said, forcing his finger on the edges of the mural and pulling hard on it. "He was going to be a monster no matter what I did to prevent it?"

"Didn't say that. Just because you have murderous tendencies doesn't mean you're going to be the next Ted Bundy. A lot of variables are involved to make you who you are, and since I have not read the Clown as I have read you, the truth is… I don't know, even you could be right." Fred said. "You found something there?"

"Joker loves having secret passages he could use for a timely escape and I remember one around here from last time." Batman finally responded, pulling the mirror from the wall like to reveal a secret dark passage. "Here it is. You might need a light." Batman said, turning the night vision on his goggles.

"I can see just fine. Born from darkness, demons have an advantage in the dark," Fred said, following the Knight through the narrow corridor. The walls of the passage were covered in hand written paragraphs some dozens of lines long, others just barely two sentences a few syllables long each. The demon noted that some of the passages were written in very broken English, others in Italian and Romanian as well as some others he did not recognized. "How many languages can Joker speak?"

"Besides English, he's probably fluent in Italian and maybe some French. Why?"

"There are passages here written in languages I don't even think you humans knew existed."

"You're saying Rancor wrote this?"

Fred put a hand to the wall over the passages and breathed in deeply. "No, no anger here, just verses filled with a lot of…sorrow. Rancor could not care less for such thing. Joker must've written them compulsively and in a hurry using Rancor's memory to write them in a language he's not familiar with. I've never seen anything like this. Joker is becoming Rancor as much as Rancor is becoming Joker. Both are using each other."

"Joker can be a manipulative son of a bitch when he wants. Anything important in those?"

Fred shook his head. "No, most of them are poems. Ancient epics of the Macedonians, the Egyptians, the Vandals, about valor and courage, war and death, but the moment he starts to write about love…the passage is interrupted. Rancor is allergic to that…is his weakness. There is one in Old Saxon and this one…" Fred pointed at a small paragraph at the base of the wall. "It's a religious text…a prayer to fend off demons. But as soon is started…it turned into gibberish and terminated in mid-sentence."

"Maybe because the writer didn't want to be discovered…Joker might have been testing things against Rancor without the demon realizing it. Hopefully we'll find more useful material in there", Batman said, pointing at the end of the tunnel where a wooden door stopped their advancement. Batman tried it, but it was locked. With a kick on the lock, the door sprung open and after flicking the light switch on the wall, they discover what probably had been the Clown's main office. A large wooden table with ornate circus-inspired carvings stood at the far left and had been covered in carved writings all over. The lavender walls were also covered in paragraphs written in permanent ink, as were the two large vintage carnival clown figures guarding each side of the desk.

"This is…unexpected." Fred said, taking a look around the small office. Even the ceiling had been written on to fill every single space available. "Is Joker always this…obsessive?"

Batman nodded. "You could say that. His mind never stops. He's always plotting, planning. He wanders from idea to idea, sometimes totally unrelated. I don't know how he can remain functional since it makes no sense to anyone, but this thought process works for him."

"It's just…insane," Fred said, reading a rhyme written in a corner of the wall. "_I come before you, to stand behind you, to tell you a story I know nothing about. One morning in the middle of the night two dead fellows stood up to fight._' Come on, I don't know if I should feel sorry for Rancor too…his mind must be a mess."

"And in all that gibberish, Joker supposedly left me a clue."

"It will take us days, if not weeks to sift through all this writings. We don't have that much time."

"We'll save time if we use a computer …" Batman said taking pictures of sections from the walls with a micro camera he pulled from his utility belt.

"But from what you told me you don't have a computer or a cave anymore."

"The Bat-computer and new bat-mobile are useless, but I think that I could adapt one of the older Batmobiles' computers that Joker spared in the cave. They are not as state of the art, but I can at least use it as an aid to sift through the useless information."

"Which I would say is most of it…" Fred said, looking into one of the drawers of the large mahogany desk. Inside, a small pile of papers with drawings of people being decapitated, stabbed, quartered, exploded and drowned caught his attention. "Now this is nice."

"What is?"  
"Your clown can draw too. Very graphically indeed." Fred passed a few of the drawings to the Knight. One

of the drawings was of special interest to the demon. "And maybe…something useful. I have not seen this in a while. It is the symbol of the house of Nabur." Fred pointed at the arrow and the axe depicted on the chest of one of the helpless victims of Joker's drawings.

"And who is Nabur?"

"An Ancient Sumerian Priest…and a demon like me." Fred rose and looked at the wall behind him, studying the writings. "He got tired of all that bickering between Princes and Archdemons during the Second War, so he left Hell to live his existence peacefully in your realm."

"Second War? Sometimes you make your kind look too…human."

Fred glared at Batman. "I find that offensive, but I'm going to ignore that comment. Your kind just knows us from the fairy tales you've been fed through your short history, most of them based on untrue or distorted facts." Fred returned to the wall. "But regarding Nabur, while he lived in Sumer we had organized in small clans in Hell. Lucifer was our leader then. A very bright angel, but very angry and prideful, too. Augor formed his own clan, but had the ambition of a king to rule us all and soon started recruiting demons to rebel against Lucifer. When Augor asked Nabur to join him. He refused, and it angered him that a demon would prefer mortals to his own kind. Augor sent his Hunters in to challenge Nabur's world to prove that mortals were not worthy of our sympathy, but flawed creatures to be dominated, not befriended. And so hatred, jealousy, greed, and war…all destroyed the Sumerian Empire, for the loyalty of one demon."

"Did Nabur surrender to Augor?"

"Legend says he didn't and Augor sent his daughter Amfivolia, Huntress of Doubt, to visit Nabur's mortal wife, Ku-aya. She was made to believe that Nabur was cheating on her with demon concubines, and in shame she hung herself from one of the trees in their Temple Garden. In that day he had lost the two things he loved most: his wife and his unborn daughter. The loss didn't break Nabur like Augor expected, but embittered him. And Nabur swore to kill Augor for taking away his family.

"Revenge is so…" Bruce stopped himself, seeing the grey eyes glaring at him.. "So demons as powerful as Augor CAN be killed."

"We live very long lives, Bruce, but we are not immortal and we're not that different from other sentient beings. We laugh, we cry. Our core emotions are a lot darker and powerful than yours. The most powerful demons can even create Hunters from their strongest emotions, like Lucifer did when he created Rancor to control his angry temper. Nabur's hatred for his kind was legendary, as he made it his mission in life to find a way to kill Augor and his followers. The legend even said that Nabur was able to forge a weapon that could kill demons with just a word. The problem was that Nabur suddenly disappeared and along with him any weapon he had made. Nobody knows what became of him."

"Augor could have killed him."

"Yes, and if there was ever a weapon, Augor would have used it against Lucifer when he rebelled. I was there and I can tell you there was no super-weapon and I never heard Augor speak of any. Personally I don't think the weapon exists at all."

"Then it is just a dead end…," Bruce set Joker's drawing angrily on the table. ''Maybe one of Rancor's random memories and a waste of my time."

"And then…maybe not." Fred tapped the wall on different passages. "I found three more references to the legend in this wall alone. This is more than just a coincidence. That Clown of yours is just one intriguing soul if he can pull all this without Rancor knowing what he's trying to do."

000000000000000000000000

Edward Nigma stood within six feet of the gigantic sphere of glass standing on the makeshift wood frame. It had taken him weeks to decipher the complicated riddles of the book, translating passages written in a language he didn't know anything about. He felt accomplished. This was the proof that he was still the best decoder alive, a privileged position that had been challenged by most of his peers over the years.

"Eat your heart out, Hush!" Nigma said, pulling a white handkerchief from his pocket to polish a smudge on the surface of the sphere. Suddenly from within the dark sphere, Edward swore he saw a long grey bony hand trying to reach for him only to hit the inside of the glass and then disappear into the darkness. Riddler wondered what secrets this sphere could hold for him had he decided to study it, but brushed the idea as he saw tens of red glowing eyes within the sphere, all looking at him. Maybe it was time to leave the sphere alone; after all, he was done with his part of the job. Black entered the room, accompanied by two of his largest thugs and admired the grandiosity of the sphere.

"Good work, Edward. For a moment I thought reconstructing the sphere was going to be impossible."

"I promised you a glass sphere and I delivered. You know better than to doubt my genius, Black."

Black scanned Nigma and his face pulled into what look like a grotesque distortion of a smile. "You are very self-centered, Mr. Nigma. Not the best quality in a man, if you ask me."

"I am just talented. The best in my specialty with conundrums, Black, and talking about business, I think it is

time to get paid for the quality of my work."

"I made a transfer to one of your accounts in Geneva, and don't forget part of the treasure inside the

sphere is yours too."

"That's one thing I wanted to discuss with you Black. There is something…else in there," Nigma said, pointing at the sphere as he tried to hide the dread in his voice. He normally didn't believe in ghosts, but what he thought he had seen inside the sphere really made the hair on the back of his head stand on end. "I don't know if I want to be there when you open this thing…treasure or not treasure. I didn't like what I saw."

Black glanced between the sphere and Edward, the darkness of his eyes now glowing in a faint green. "You don't believe in ghosts, do you Mr. Nigma?"

"It was no ghost…it tried to grab me and stared me down."

"I see," Black responded while cocking his head sideways in an almost paternal way as he tapped the sphere's surface.

"Then you understand that I am not interested on your creepy sphere anymore. I'll accept an advanced payment and call it a day."

"I would agree to that in another set of circumstances, Edward, but the truth is that you have not finished what I hired you to do."

"What do you mean? You told me to reconstruct the Book of Mirrors and you're looking at it. I'm done."

"Not really, there is one more thing I need you to do," Black said, motioning his associates that rapidly surrounded Nigma and held tight to him. Edward fought the grip with all his might, but it was as if he was pushing against mountains of muscles instead of people. Riddler tried a desperate move and kicked one of Black's thugs on the groin, but the man didn't even flinch.

"What is this Black?"

"A breach of contract on your part, Mr. Nigma." The Mafioso said calmly as he walked over to meet the squirming Riddler. "Now I have to find someone else to finish what you started, and you will pay for that."

"Black, we can talk about this…" Nigma pleaded.

"Time for talking is over, Eddie. Meet your replacement" Black said with a perverse smile. "You know her, my daughter…my pride. Just call her Ponos."

At that moment, Black exhaled a red vapor that quickly coalesced into a defined humanoid shape and from the smoke two red eyes glowed at him with longing. The reddish smoke quickly encircled Nigma that was trying to escape the hold of the two thugs. The smoke readily enveloped and entered into him through every single opening of his body and Edward screamed, falling on his face convulsing. Tears of blood dripped from his eyes as he regained consciousness and sat on the floor staring at his arms hands and clothes.

"For me...Dad?" Nigma said in a deep smoky voice.

"All of him, until the ceremony is over. Then he belongs to me." Black responded

"But I want him now. Because I'm your favorite daughter…your most loyal. I deserve him right now."

"I said until the ceremony, Ponos. I still need his soul," Black said, noticing the face of disproval on Nigma's face, a reflection of the Huntress within. "But don't worry, dear. You'll have a chance to feed on a million like him."

"Just a million? I deserve more than that. I'm just not any demon's daughter…I'm Prince Eligos' daughter. Can you get me more?"

"And as my daughter you'll receive all that's rightfully yours, but not all at once. Be patient."

"But I like him. He's so proud…and scared." Riddler giggled childishly. "Be terrified of me, mortal, for I will be your Queen and your proud soul will be my feast. HAHAHA!"

"I'm sure Mr. Nigma is going to enjoy your company. Make sure he's comfortable in there, child."

With a nod, Riddler stood and dusted his green jacket. He set crossed his arms and raised his chin. "How do I look, dad…pretty?

Black covered his mouth and chuckled. "Yes…and Mr. Nigma is definitely going to love you…"

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Barbara stretched in her chair and looked at the time glowing at the bottom right corner of the screen. Twenty minutes till three and more than five hours past her regular bedtime. She didn't mind the long hours, it was part of her job as Oracle to coordinate the actions of all the vigilantes in Gotham, especially her own team the Birds of Prey, but nothing had happened in the last few hours and Canary had already left for the night while Helena was about to do the same. Staying any longer was not going to yield anything new.

She signed off the mainframe and the team, and after setting her terminal on standby, she slowly wheeled herself to her room. A short rejuvenating shower helped her wash off her fatigue, and filled her with the aroma of lavender and mint, calming her to actually let her rest the night. Barbara pushed herself on the bed and as after she turned off the night light, she wrapped her arms around her feathered pillow when she felt something hard underneath it. She reached under and pulled a small hard metal object. It felt dented and very sticky. Barbara turned on the nightlight and immediately identified her father's police badge…and the sticky substance splattered over it was blood. She sat on the bed and hurriedly reached for the cell phone, calling her father's number. After three rings, someone answered with a low pitched hello…

"Dad…you ok?"

"Never better…why?" the voice answered through the earpiece, so clear that she could almost swear her interloper was in her room.

"I have your badge here, covered in blood and I thought-"

"Oh yeah, the badge. Thought it might be a nice touch."

Barbara got confused at the strange answer. "Nice touch for what?"

"To get the conversation started, sweetie."

"What conversation? I don't get it."

"If you look out your window you'll understand." Her father answered with a dark somber tone on his voice. Barbara turned slowly towards the window to her balcony and saw the dark figure standing by the door, looking inside her apartment.

"Dad, that you?"

"SURPRISE!" Joker screamed as he pushed the balcony doors open and entered the room with his hands extended out in an almost theatrical style. In his right hand, Gordon's phone blinked. "THE CARNIVAL IS HERE!"

As Barbara rushed to reach the weapons that she kept handily by her nightstand, she was surprised with Joker bright green eyes staring at her just a few inches away from her face, and she could not move any more. Since when could Joker move that fast? The paralyzing gaze of the Jester was like the hypnotic stare of the king cobra before his fatal attack on his prey. A prey that had no hope left but to surrender to her fate. Joker held Barbara's wrists in his hands and by applying a slight pressure, forced the librarian to let go of the batons. She just could not stop gazing into the green emptiness of those emeralds fixed on her.

"Get off me, you—." Barbara started to say when a gloved hand interrupted her in midsentence.

"Tsk, tsk... You should be more polite, little girl," Joker responded silkily. "I owned you once…I can do it again." The hand over Barbara's mouth quickly became a caress along the cheek. She tightened under the unwanted affection.

"You've never owned me, you son of a bitch!"

"Oh yes I did…and I have the color prints to prove it." Joker said with a perverse giggle, tenderly caressing Barbara's cheek. She tried to pull away without success, and the thought of the Clown touching her like this made her sick to her stomach. "Sweet times…"

Barbara swallowed hard. "Where's my father, Joker?"

"Taking a nap," Joker giggled as if he had made the most hilarious of jokes. "Told me to get you so we could all play together."

"Thought you didn't want to do this anymore."

"This? And you believed every single word I said. You can be so gullible at times, Barbie." Joker said, pushing her onto the bed. He climbed over the bed, knelt on top of her, and started to rub his cheek against hers. Barbara could not do anything but watch angrily since her body refused to answer her. Bile started to churn at the base of her stomach. "Now I will show you how much I REALLY wanted to do this…again. Your daddy didn't specify in what state he wanted you, which allows room to improvise."

"Monster…" She spat between gritted teeth.

"Name calling? You must hate me a lot right now, eh?" Joker said, taking his jacket off and undoing his tie. Barbara didn't say a word but her eyes glowed with resentment. "I take your silence as a loud yes, beautiful… Then let's see if I can make you hate me even more."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Catwoman surveyed the warehouse for over twenty minutes without noticing any movement of cars or people. This was the warehouse where Harley claimed to have seen Nigma putting together the glass pieces to a large mirror-like object. And the compound was surrounded by heavily armed security. This didn't seem the same place Harley had described. There were no signs of cameras, or of armed personnel roaming the area, and the building seemed to have been unoccupied for a while.

"Harley, you're positive you got the right address?"

"Of course I did. I was here three nights in a row not even a week ago marking every guard and every camera."

"Well, apparently they left in a hurry, and took all their security with them. It's time we take a closer look. You ready?"

"Ready, girlfriend." Harley said propping a cork in her pop gun.

"Harley, I would prefer if we did not use guns. I don't like them."

"Hey, Kitty. If the Bat is not here we're going to need protection. And, really you shouldn't worry. This baby and I go way back. He might not shoot anything but blanks, but the size, well look at it. It'll definite scare the beejeezus of anyone trying to jump on us."

Selina looked at Harley kissing the barrel of her gun. Shaking her head in defeat, she rubbed her face and sighed. "OK. You can take your friend with you…but you need to find yourself a real boyfriend."

"Why?" Quinn asked quizzically.

"Because you do. Now let's go, we have work to do."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

The excursion to Laff Co. had been both a terrifying and enlightening experience. For one, Bruce had been able to see the extent of Rancor's perversity, and on the other he had discovered the perseverance of a certain clown to not be put down easily by the circumstances. If he was right on his hunch, Joker had been secretly manipulating Rancor for information to stop Eligos and hopefully, save the clown too. Nobody would be crazy enough to fight a monster like Rancor in his own turf, like Joker. Batman just hoped it was not too late for the Clown himself. If by any chance, Rancor discovered what Joker was doing, he didn't doubt the Hunter would do what he was created for and engulf the Clown's essence and destroy him.

Adapting the computer from the 1980's Batmobile had not been difficult, but the time it was taking for the pictures to upload the system was taking most of Bruce's patience. He wished he could have the commodities of his advanced systems because time was running out quick. With the full moon only days away, every minute counted. Luckily, Fred had access to a vast network of information about demons, some even first-hand accounts that would make the library of Congress green with envy, and proved useful when deciphering the nonsensical writings Joker left at the office.

"Well, that would be fourteen references to Nabur, but no cookie yet." Fred said, staring at the tiny computer from the Batmobile. "Maybe you were right and this is going nowhere."

"The clues could be somewhere else…maybe it was something in Joker's office. Something we missed."

"Something we missed, Bruce? You saw the office. It could have been in the most absurd place, like the molding on the wall for all we know."

Batman looked at the screen for a long moment. "You know, I'm not an expert in poetry, but I find the metrics on the English verses quite unusual, don't you think?"

"Curious. Was thinking the same thing of these Etruscan verses," Fred said noticing Bruce staring at him. The old man shrugged innocently. "What? I love Etruscan poetry. Even wrote some in my time, OK?"

"Are some verses longer than usual?"

"And others are shorter. How did you—?"

"Tell me by how much they differ from the standard form." Fred counted the verses and relayed the numbers slowly; first in Etruscan and then in the other languages. The Knight entered the metric in the computer and the result was a series of numbers. Clever Clown, Bruce thought. The Joker had modified the metrics to fit his message. This could have only have been done by a sane man. Bruce cross-referenced the numbers with the database in his computer.

"What are they…a secret code…coordinates?" Fred asked, looking at the numbers quickly becoming a map. The color in Fred's face vanished. "Oh no, not there."

"You seem to know where the map is getting us"

"Yes, to the wolf's mouth. More accurately…to the Demon's mouth."

"A friend of yours?"

"Actually, one of yours. The summer palace of Ras al'Ghul. Ras and I have …some history. History I would not like to repeat if I could."

"Well, we don't have that option at the moment. Time's running out, this is our only lead, and you might be the only one to tell me what we are looking for, so I ask of you…come with me."

Fred sighed. "Ok, I understand. Just don't tell him who I am…OK?"


	40. AUTHOR'S INTERMISSION

**THE FIRST 32 EDITED CHAPTERS ARE UP NOW...MORE TO FOLLOW SOON...**

**THIS IS A TEMPORARY CHAPTER, BECAUSE I HAD TO SPEAK TO MY FRIENDS AND FANS**

Dear friends,

I am still alive, and so is this story.

Before I continue with the storyline, I have to take the time to thank you all for following this story for so long. There are no words that can express my gratitude for your dedicated loyalty. I can't believe it's been almost five years since I started this project and you have been with me every mile of the trip. For that I am eternally thankful.

And I owe you all a great apology. I am even ashamed of showing my face again after so long, but I can't let all of you my friends, fans, and acquaintances with and unfinished project. There is no excuse to have abandoned the project for almost two years, but please…still hear me out.

Almost two years ago, my father got diagnosed with cancer, and though I tried my hardest to keep up writing, neither my mind nor my heart was in it anymore. The priority was to get my father out of danger, and I took up the decision to stop writing altogether. It was hard to find any inspiration inside hospitals, cancer treatment units and home when my father needed full attention. You all deserved a better story, and I deserved some time to spend with my dad. Sorry for those I let down by the decision.

A year and a half since the diagnosis, my father is back on his feet and just celebrated his 81st birthday with a new look in life and remission. Just when everything started looking good for me, and I thought I was ready for a comeback, life slaps me hard once more when I lost, quickly and unexpectedly, my two dogs by the end of last year. I don't have a family and they were like my children so the blow was devastating. My broken heart had to stay away from the writing scene a little longer. Now I think it has healed and I am ready to return and finish what I started so long ago, with you the fans as my solely inspiration to return to these pages.

Unfortunately, as it happens with a long hiatus… two years have been a long time and beside the multiple outlines for the story, I had to re-read the whole online story to bring back the original spark. While reviewing the chapters, I saw tons of new possibilities that deserved to be explored, other passages that needed to be omitted because they didn't add to the story and some obvious grammatical blunders. It is for this reason that I decided to re-edit all chapters of the story before going on with the action.

**BUT PLEASE…DO NOT WORRY. THE STORY HAS NOT CHANGED AT ALL****.**

Hopefully the re-edited chapters will make much more sense and will be a lot more entertaining to read while adding some unity to the whole concept (which has been based in 5 totally different outlines since its inception), but the story is basically the same…about 98.5% of what you have already read there is still there.

And for those that were expecting a Joker X Batman story in less than 20 chapters, sorry, but I had a story to tell. This IS STILL A LOVE STORY, a re-encounter of missing feelings and rediscovery of new ones, between two individuals that life keeps throwing at each other. How can you just love you worst enemy over night? Things like this take time, and will require more than just words. The plot is just part of the fun. Please be patient as I promise new twists and hopefully and entertaining story.

I don't want to drag anymore, but had to spread the news that the first twenty seven chapters have been finished and will be posted this week, with hopefully the other ones ready to upload by sometime next week. After that, new chapters will be posted in a regular basis (once I talk to my old beta to have her join me this last long mile till the end of the story….let's have our fingers crossed.)

Hope to continue hearing from you, as I offer you a piece of my imagination, along with my best efforts for your entertaining.


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